President Donald Trump made unusually candid remarks about his own Senate endorsee Ken Paxton during multiple campaign stops across Texas and Oklahoma.
Trump acknowledged that Paxton, the former Texas attorney general now running for the state’s open Senate seat, was “a little controversial,” a striking admission about a candidate he is actively supporting.
The comments drew attention because Trump made them just weeks out from elections, a time when candidates typically receive nothing but full-throated praise from their party allies.
Despite the colorful characterization, Trump was quick to frame Paxton as a loyal and steadfast ally during some of his most difficult political moments.
“When I was being hit by the radical left very hard — harder than very few people could have withstood it, I was being hit — Ken Paxton was at my side more than anybody,” Trump said.
Trump delivered those remarks at a Peterbilt Motors Company plant in Denton, Texas, during what was a multi-stop swing through the region.
The visit underscored the national attention being paid to the Texas Senate race, which remains one of the most competitive contests heading into the election cycle.
The nonpartisan election handicapper Cook Political Report currently rates the open Texas Senate seat a “toss-up,” reflecting genuine uncertainty about the outcome.
Paxton, who served as Texas attorney general, has been a polarizing figure in state politics, surviving an impeachment effort by the Texas House before being acquitted by the Texas Senate.
His candidacy has nonetheless attracted strong support from the Republican base, particularly from voters who view him as a fighter aligned closely with Trump’s political agenda.
The Texas race features Democrat James Talarico among those competing for the seat, and national party organizations on both sides have taken a keen interest in the contest.
Trump’s willingness to describe his own endorsee in such blunt terms is a rare departure from typical campaign trail messaging, yet it may actually reinforce his image as a straight-talking political figure among his supporters.
