Republican U.S. Senate candidate Ken Paxton is catching a fresh round of criticism over remarks he made in the wake of the Uvalde school shooting.
A post on X shared Wednesday, Sept. 23, provides a recording of Paxton calling the 2024 shooting at Robb Elementary School a "plan" from "God" and saying "life is short" in response to questions about the shooting that claimed the lives of 19 children and two teachers.
"Look, there's always a plan," Paxton says in the recording. "I believe God always has a plan. Life is short, no matter what it is."
The recording garnered a quick response from former Arizona U.S. Rep. Gabby Giffords' organization, GIFFORDS, which was created in 2013 to fight gun violence, as well as a vote of support for Paxton's General
Election opponent, Democrat James Talarico.
"This is how Ken Paxton talks about the 19 children and 2 teachers murdered in Uvalde," GIFFORDS wrote on X. "Texas should hear him — and then send @jamestalarico to the Senate."
Neither Paxton nor Talarico has commented on the recording.
Adam Powell covers government and politics for the El Paso Times and can be reached via email at apowell@elpasotimes.com.
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Paxton remarks on Uvalde shooting spark backlash, renew scrutiny
