--- title: "Ken Paxton said GOP convention hurt his polling numbers" publication: "MediaBias News" url: "https://mediabias.news/politics/ken-paxton-said-gop-convention-hurt-his-polling-numbers" api: "https://mediabias.news/api/v1/stories/ken-paxton-said-gop-convention-hurt-his-polling-numbers" markdown: "https://mediabias.news/politics/ken-paxton-said-gop-convention-hurt-his-polling-numbers.md" audio: "https://mediabias.news/api/audio/ken-paxton-said-gop-convention-hurt-his-polling-numbers" category: "Politics" area: "United States" published: "2026-09-30T12:45:46.163Z" source_reported: "2026-09-30T12:24:22.000Z" updated: "2026-09-30T12:45:46.163Z" trust_score: 50 critic_score: 61 hype_score: 68 assessment_type: "coverage-and-source-reporting-analysis" fact_check_status: "not-performed" coverage_measured: "2026-09-30T13:45:12.113578+00:00" --- # Ken Paxton said GOP convention hurt his polling numbers *Texas AG's private remarks were revealed in leaked audio obtained by The New York Times.* **Scores for the source reporting** (0-100, assessing the original journalism this article was written from, not this write-up): - Trust 50 of 100, higher is better. Central claim attributed to a named body (NYT) and corroborated by multiple outlets. - Craft 61 of 100, higher is better. Reporting includes quotes from the subject's campaign and mentions the origin of the audio. - Hype 68 of 100, lower is better. Headlines and digests use loaded language like 'dissing,' 'backstabs,' and 'trashing.'. Scored by MediaBias News; method at https://mediabias.news/methodology. **The short version** - Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton privately stated that the recent GOP convention in Dallas caused a drop in his polling numbers, according to audio obtained by The New York Times. - Paxton campaign adviser Nick Maddux called the report 'manipulated nonsense' and claimed internal polls showed Paxton leading. - President Trump is scheduled to visit Texas this week for a campaign event. - Paxton is in a competitive race against state Representative James Talarico. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton privately told donors and lobbyists that the Republican party's convention in Dallas had harmed his polling numbers. Audio of these remarks was obtained by The New York Times. Paxton is currently in a close race against state Representative James Talarico. ## Paxton campaign response Paxton campaign adviser Nick Maddux dismissed the New York Times report as 'manipulated nonsense'. Maddux stated that their internal poll, conducted the previous week, showed Paxton leading by three points. He added that 'every serious pollster' would indicate an improvement in the Republican's position since early September. Maddux also noted that Ken Paxton looks forward to closing the race strongly, including alongside President Trump's upcoming visit to Texas. ## What the coverage left out None of the left-rated digests mention the specific polling data or the name of the campaign adviser, Nick Maddux, who responded to the report. None of the centre-rated digests mention the specific polling data or the name of the campaign adviser, Nick Maddux, who responded to the report. The right-rated digest does not mention the specific polling data or the name of the campaign adviser, Nick Maddux, who responded to the report. ## Who covered it Shares of the 11 covering outlets with a published leaning rating: - Left: 46% (5) - Centre: 45% (5) - Right: 9% (1) 1 of 12 covering outlets carried no usable leaning rating and were excluded from those percentages. Coverage measured 2026-09-30T13:45:12.113578+00:00. **Coverage watch:** developing. Checked 5 times; 0 checks found a material change. Most recently checked 2026-09-30T14:00:11.689Z. ## How the sides framed it ### Left - Left-rated reports focused on Ken Paxton's private criticism of the GOP convention and its impact on his campaign. Headlines and digests highlighted Paxton 'dissing' or 'trashing' Trump's convention, with some noting it was a 'shocking confession' and a 'break from the Texas attorney general's public image as one of the president's most devoted loyalists'. The reports noted the audio was leaked and obtained by The New York Times. Several mentioned Paxton's race against James Talarico and President Trump's upcoming visit to Texas. ### Centre - Centre-rated reports highlighted Ken Paxton's private admission that the GOP convention hurt his polling numbers, as revealed by The New York Times. The digests noted that Paxton is in a tight race against Democrat James Talarico. The reports also included the response from Paxton's campaign adviser, Nick Maddux, who called the leaked audio 'manipulated nonsense' and asserted that internal polls showed Paxton leading. President Trump's scheduled appearance in Texas was also mentioned. ### Right - The right-rated report led with Ken Paxton's admission that 'everybody's numbers dropped' after the GOP midterm convention, citing a report. It also mentioned that Paxton faces Democrat James Talarico in a tight race. **Provisional coverage gap:** right. The watch is not closed, so this is not yet a settled blindspot finding. ## Factuality profile of the covering outlets These are published factuality ratings of the outlets, not a verdict on whether this story or its claims are true. - mixed: 4 - high: 4 - unknown: 2 - veryHigh: 2 ## Verification scope This page compares coverage and scores the source reporting. It is not a ClaimReview verdict on whether the underlying event or claim is true. ## Original reporting this was written from - [Michigan Live](https://mlive.com/politics/2026/09/embattled-republican-makes-stinging-admission-against-trump-it-dropped-our-numbers.html) — Embattled Republican makes stinging admission against Trump: ‘It dropped our numbers’ - [Cleveland](https://cleveland.com/politics/2026/09/embattled-republican-makes-stinging-admission-against-trump-it-dropped-our-numbers.html) — Embattled Republican makes stinging admission against Trump: ‘It dropped our numbers’ - [NewsFinale](https://newsfinale.com/?p=9590525) — Texas AG Ken Paxton Says GOP Numbers Fell After Convention: Report - [Mediaite](https://mediaite.com/media/news/bombshell-leaked-audio-shows-ken-paxton-dissing-trumps-convention-blaming-it-for-his-bad-polls-everybodys-numbers-dropped) — Leaked Audio Shows Paxton Dissing Trump's Convention - [Internewscast](https://internewscast.com/news/us/texas-ag-ken-paxton-says-everyones-numbers-fell-after-gop-convention) — Texas AG Ken Paxton Says Everyone’s Numbers Fell After GOP Convention - [dailymail.com](https://dailymail.com/news/article-16172355/Ken-Paxton-backstabs-Trump-leaked-audio-recording-shocking-confession.html) — Ken Paxton backstabs Trump in leaked audio recording - [New York Post](https://nypost.com/2026/09/30/us-news/ken-paxton-admitted-everybodys-numbers-dropped-after-gop-midterm-convention-report) — Ken Paxton admitted ‘everybody’s numbers dropped’ after GOP midterm convention: report - [Joe.My.God.](https://joemygod.com/2026/09/paxton-blames-trumps-convention-for-his-numbers) — Paxton Blames Trump’s Convention For His “Numbers” - [Raw Story](https://rawstory.com/ken-paxton-2677965463) — Secret recording catches Ken Paxton privately trashing Trump’s convention: NYT - [The Daily Beast](https://thedailybeast.com/must-win-maga-senate-candidate-caught-on-hot-mic-trashing-trump) — Must-Win MAGA Senate Candidate Caught Secretly Trashing Trump - [Alternet](https://alternet.org/ken-paxton-2677965173) — Paxton privately trashed Trump’s midterm convention: leaked audio - [Political Wire](https://politicalwire.com/2026/09/30/ken-paxton-privately-said-trumps-convention-hurt-him) — Ken Paxton Privately Said Trump’s Convention Hurt Him ## Questions **What did Ken Paxton say about the GOP convention?** According to leaked audio obtained by The New York Times, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton privately told donors and lobbyists that the recent GOP convention in Dallas hurt his polling numbers, stating 'Everybody's numbers dropped'. **How did Ken Paxton's campaign respond to the leaked audio?** Paxton campaign adviser Nick Maddux dismissed the report as 'manipulated nonsense' and claimed their internal polls showed Paxton leading. He stated that 'every serious pollster' would indicate an improvement in the Republican's position. **Who is Ken Paxton running against in the Senate race?** Ken Paxton is in a close Senate race against state Representative James Talarico, who is seeking to become the first Democrat elected to the Senate from Texas since 1988. **Is President Trump involved in the Texas race?** President Trump is scheduled to appear in Texas this week for a campaign event. His campaign aims to help Republican candidates win and preserve GOP control of the House and Senate. --- MediaBias News — https://mediabias.news. Reproduced from https://mediabias.news/politics/ken-paxton-said-gop-convention-hurt-his-polling-numbers. Please cite as: MediaBias News, "Ken Paxton said GOP convention hurt his polling numbers", https://mediabias.news/politics/ken-paxton-said-gop-convention-hurt-his-polling-numbers