President Donald Trump once again vouched for Texas U.S. Senate nominee Ken Paxton on Thursday and once again couldn't resist a dig, calling him "a little bit controversial" as the state attorney general trails Democratic state Representative James Talarico 19 days before the midterm elections.
Speaking at the White House, Trump offered the remark before praising Paxton’s time in office.
“Look, Ken Paxton’s a guy that whether you like Ken or not, honestly. I mean, I understand some people are controversial, etc.,” Trump said. “I don’t happen to be a controversial person, so I’m very happy. But Ken is a little bit controversial.
“The one thing about him, he may have been the best attorney general in this country for many, many years,” Trump said, citing Paxton’s work “on voter fraud” and “on COVID.” He closed with: “So hopefully he’s going to win.”
Trump also turned to Talarico during the same remarks, calling him "a con man" and mocking a stretch in which the Democrat was off the campaign trail with what the representative said was the flu.
List of Trump’s Jabs Against Paxton
The comments reflect a pattern that has emerged since Paxton won the nomination with Trump's backing over Republican Senator John Cornyn. Trump has campaigned for Paxton several times but rarely mentions him without taking a jab at him.
September 9, Republican Party Midterm Convention, Dallas: Trump joked about Paxton's appearance, saying he looked “very spiffy” in his blue suit while noting that some people might not like the way he dresses. He also said Paxton “may not dress right,” “may not talk exactly perfectly” and “may not be the best-looking guy I’ve ever seen.”
September 10, Republican Party Midterm Convention, Dallas: Trump said: “I don’t really like the way he looks,” and joked that he didn't know if Paxton would “ever talk to me again” after hearing the remarks about his appearance.
October 1, Peterbilt Motors truck plant, Denton, Texas: Trump praised Paxton for standing by him during his legal battles but admitted that he “could be a pain in the ass sometimes.”
October 1, rally in Durant, Oklahoma: Trump urged voters to send Paxton to the Senate “whether you love him or don’t love him,” calling him “a little controversial, just slightly.”
At the Durant rally, Trump also played recently leaked audio of Paxton criticizing the Republican convention.
The recording was published by The New York Times on September 30. It came from a September 24 gathering of donors and lobbyists in which Paxton discussed his standing in the polls.
“Everybody’s numbers dropped. Right now, yeah, not good,” Paxton said on the tape.
Trump has not publicly rebuked Paxton over the recording. Instead, he told reporters he had “no regrets” about endorsing him.
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James Talarico vs. Ken Paxton: What Latest Polls Show
Recent polls show Talarico narrowly ahead of Paxton.
A Marist poll conducted October 8-11 found Talarico at 47 percent and Paxton at 45 percent among likely voters, within the survey's 4.9-point margin of error. Among registered voters, Talarico led by 4 points, down slightly from 6 points last month.
Independents who said they were likely to vote broke for Talarico, with 52 percent backing him. Still, 53 percent of likely voters said they expected Paxton to win, regardless of whom they supported.
An earlier survey by YouGov, released last week, found Talarico ahead 50 percent to 44 percent, powered by younger voters. Roughly two-thirds of voters ages 18 to 29 backed the Democrat, while voters 65 and older favored Paxton 55 percent to 38 percent. Few voters on either side said they might switch.
A Fox News poll conducted September 24-28 had Talarico at 51 percent and Paxton at 49 percent among likely voters, within the survey's 3-point margin of error. More than half of respondents said they worried Talarico was too liberal, while 51 percent said Paxton was too close to Trump.
Earlier polls also had Talarico ahead. A Texas Pulse survey for Texas A&M's Bush School put Talarico ahead 47 percent to 43 percent, and Texas Public Opinion Research, a group led by a Democratic strategist, found him up 45 percent to 40 percent in July.
Paxton's campaign has dismissed the numbers, saying the only poll that matters is on Election Day, November 3.
Why Texas Senate Race Matters in 2026 Midterms
Democrats have not won a statewide election in Texas since 1994. A Talarico victory in the Senate race would deal Republicans a major blow as they try to hold their Senate majority. The seat is open after Paxton defeated John Cornyn in a primary runoff in May.
National Republicans have been campaigning in Texas for weeks. Vice President JD Vance visited the state Tuesday, telling voters in East Texas that Talarico was “a threat to your way of life.” Earlier that day, when a reporter asked about his previous remark that he would not want to see Talarico's internet search history, Vance criticized what he called the Democrat's “weird focus on transgender kids and drag queens.”
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Talarico is polling ahead of where Democrat Beto O'Rourke stood at the same stage of the 2018 Senate race. O'Rourke ultimately lost to Republican Senator Ted Cruz by about 2.6 percentage points.
Talarico also has a significant fundraising advantage. He has raised more than $70 million since launching his campaign, compared with roughly $16.8 million for Paxton. On Thursday, his campaign announced a record $64 million haul for the third quarter of 2026.
Trump's super PAC, MAGA Inc., has committed at least $10 million to help Paxton close the gap.
Early voting in Texas begins October 19, and Election Day is November 3.
Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Samantha Beech and Dave Siminoff.