President Donald Trump defended the Republican midterm convention in Dallas afterTexas Attorney General Ken Paxton said the event hurt his U.S. Senate campaign's polling numbers.
Asked about Paxton's comments on Wednesday, Sept. 30, Trump rejected the criticism and pointed to the convention's audience, saying it generated significant viewership.
Paxton's remarks surfaced in an audio recording from a private Washington, D.C., fundraiser last week obtained by The New York Times. In the recording, Paxton said the convention corresponded with a drop in polling numbers.
"So to be honest with you, the numbers — when we did that convention — it dropped our numbers," Paxton said, according to the recording. "Everybody's numbers dropped. Right now, yeah,
not good."
Trump pushed back on that assessment Wednesday, arguing the convention drew a large audience and was successful.
Paxton's campaign disputed the Times' characterization of the recording. Senior adviser Nick Maddux called the report "more manipulated nonsense from the New York Times to create a story that doesn't exist."
What did Donald Trump say?
Trump said Wednesday he had not heard Paxton's comments when asked about them during an announcement with Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick at the White House.
"Well, I haven't heard that," Trump said.
Trump then defended the Dallas convention, pointing to its reported viewership.
"We had 107 million views," Trump said, comparing the convention with 25 million viewers for an NFL broadcast. "I can tell you that the convention was amazing."
Trump's 107 million figure does not match Nielsen's television audience measurements. PolitiFact found the two NFL games that aired during the convention drew a combined 43.6 million viewers, compared with about 7 million viewers for the convention across the networks it analyzed. The White House pointed instead to social media impressions, which are not directly comparable to Nielsen television ratings.
Trump said the convention was the first of its kind for a midterm election and argued that its viewership showed the event had drawn significant attention.
"So, I think the convention, I would imagine they do it again often," Trump said.
Trump initially acknowledged that Paxton's account could be true, saying, "It's possible that could be true." But he quickly walked that back, adding, "I don't know if it's possible," before arguing that the convention had helped other candidates.
"But other people were helped greatly," Trump said. "This was a national convention."
What happened in Dallas?
Trump headlined the Republican Party's first midterm convention Sept. 9-10 at the American Airlines Center in Dallas.
The event brought Republican officials and supporters together for a two-day gathering centered on Trump's agenda ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. Trump used the convention to rally his party's base and promote Republican candidates.
Paxton attended the convention as he campaigns for the Republican nomination in the Texas U.S. Senate race.
Why did Paxton say the convention hurt his numbers?
Paxton did not explain in the recording why he believed the convention was followed by a drop in his campaign's numbers. He said, however, that "everybody's numbers dropped" after the event.
Paxton's comments came as he faces Democrat James Talarico in the November election. Public polling in September has shown a close race, while Paxton's campaign has said its internal polling shows him leading.
Maddux said Paxton's numbers had improved since early September and that Paxton would "close strong alongside President Trump," including during Trump's visit to Texas this week.
Who is Ken Paxton?
Paxton is the Texas attorney general and the Republican nominee for U.S. Senate. He was first elected attorney general in 2014 and has won reelection twice.
Paxton previously served in the Texas House from 2003 to 2013 and in the Texas Senate from 2013 to 2015. He is seeking to move to the U.S. Senate after defeating four-term Republican Sen. John Cornyn in the May GOP primary runoff.
President Donald Trump endorsed Paxton shortly before the Republican runoff. Paxton is now facing Democratic state Rep. James Talarico in the November general election.
Paxton has been a prominent legal opponent of Democratic administrations and has led Texas in lawsuits challenging federal policies on issues including immigration, environmental regulations and other federal actions.
His political career has also included significant legal and ethics controversies. He was indicted on felony securities-fraud charges in 2015, though those charges were later dropped as part of a 2024 plea agreement. In 2023, the Texas House impeached Paxton on allegations including abuse of office and improper use of state resources. The Texas Senate acquitted him after a trial.
Paxton has denied wrongdoing in the various matters and has continued to win statewide elections. His latest campaign is his first run for federal office.
Did Trump endorse Ken Paxton over John Cornyn?
Trump endorsed Ken Paxton in the Republican primary runoff for U.S. Senate in Texas, choosing the state attorney general over incumbent Sen. John Cornyn.
Trump announced his endorsement May 19, 2026, while Republican voters were already casting ballots in the runoff. Trump called Paxton a "true MAGA Warrior" and said he had "ALWAYS delivered for Texas."
Trump also explained why he did not endorse Cornyn, saying the senator was "not supportive of me when times were tough" and had been late to back Trump's 2024 presidential campaign.
Paxton went on to defeat Cornyn in the Republican runoff, 63.8% to 36.2%, and became the GOP nominee for the U.S. Senate seat. He now faces Democratic nominee Talarico in the November general election.
Brandi D. Addison covers weather across the nation as the Weather Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network and contributes to Texas Connect coverage across the state. She can be reached at baddison@usatodayco.com. Follow her on Facebook here.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump defends GOP convention after Paxton says it hurt Texas Senate bid
