Ken Paxton is trailing in the Texas Senate race. Then a secret recording exposes who is actually running his campaign: ‘I don’t control the message’

Texas Attorney General and Republican Senate nominee Ken Paxton recently admitted in a leaked audio recording that he lacks control over his own campaign efforts, The New Republic reports. This recording, which surfaced on Monday, features Paxton speaking at a fundraiser in September about the difficulties he faces as he trails behind his opponent.

The candidate expressed his frustration regarding the lack of influence he maintains over his own platform. “I’ve never been in a race where I felt less control over the campaign and, like, what issues are going to matter because it’s all coming—you know—from D.C.,” he stated during the event.

He further emphasized his lack of agency by saying, “I don’t control the message or what we’re doing.” He added, “I don’t have ability to change anything,” and concluded that, “So I have to live with whatever I’ve got. So it is a challenge.”

The audio was leaked by an individual who does not support the candidate

An attendee at the fundraiser, however, confirmed the authenticity of the recording. While speculation might arise about who exactly is dictating the campaign strategy, one attendee clarified that Paxton did not specifically name the team of President Donald Trump. Nick Maddux, who serves as an adviser to the campaign, claimed that Paxton was merely referencing the reality that campaigns cannot coordinate with super PACs.

According to recent quarterly filings submitted to the Federal Election Commission, Democratic candidate James Talarico has managed to raise $31.6 million. In comparison, Paxton has only brought in $9.3 million. This funding gap is certainly showing up in the numbers, as a poll from the New York Times and Sienna found that Paxton is currently six points behind Talarico.

President Trump has frequently expressed a desire to see Paxton win his election bid. Despite this, the President has been hesitant to commit any funds from the $400 million MAGA Inc. war chest to support the effort. Instead, the President has largely focused his attention on turning the midterm elections into a referendum on his own presidency.

A fundraiser held in Houston last month was marketed as a major lifeline for the Paxton campaign. However, reports indicate that the money raised at that event was directed toward the Republican National Convention rather than the candidate himself.

This is not the first time audio featuring the Attorney General has been leaked to the public. Just last month, another recording surfaced in which Paxton was heard criticizing the midterm convention associated with President Trump.