Trump Endorses Paxton While Joking He Can Be a Pain

President Donald Trump endorsed Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s U.S. Senate campaign during a Thursday event in Denton, Texas, praising him as the country’s greatest attorney general while joking that he could be “a pain in the ass.” The remarks came amid attention to leaked audio in which Paxton said the Republican convention Trump held in Dallas had hurt their polling numbers, a claim whose meaning and effect are unclear. Trump said Paxton had stood by him during past political and legal battles and urged voters to elect him. He described Paxton as having been at his side more than anyone, then added the criticism before returning to his endorsement. Trump said the state needed Paxton in the Senate, where he is challenging Democratic nominee James Talarico. The recording, published Wednesday, captures Paxton speaking at a private fundraiser in Washington the previous Thursday. In response to a question about whether Trump had become a drag on the campaign, Paxton said the Dallas convention “dropped our numbers,” adding that everyone’s numbers had fallen and the situation was “not good.