--- title: "Trump calls Ken Paxton 'pain in the ass' at Texas rally" publication: "MediaBias News" url: "https://mediabias.news/politics/trump-calls-ken-paxton-pain-in-the-ass-at-texas-rally" api: "https://mediabias.news/api/v1/stories/trump-calls-ken-paxton-pain-in-the-ass-at-texas-rally" markdown: "https://mediabias.news/politics/trump-calls-ken-paxton-pain-in-the-ass-at-texas-rally.md" audio: "https://mediabias.news/api/audio/trump-calls-ken-paxton-pain-in-the-ass-at-texas-rally" category: "Politics" area: "United States" published: "2026-10-02T19:05:43.433Z" source_reported: "2026-10-02T18:49:37.562Z" updated: "2026-10-02T19:05:43.433Z" trust_score: 50 critic_score: 65 hype_score: 45 assessment_type: "coverage-and-source-reporting-analysis" fact_check_status: "not-performed" coverage_measured: "2026-10-02T19:00:41.460155+00:00" --- # Trump calls Ken Paxton 'pain in the ass' at Texas rally *President Trump made the remark about the Texas Attorney General during a campaign stop for the Senate candidate.* **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 named body, but relies on anonymous sourcing for leaked audio. - Craft 65 of 100, higher is better. Reports include quotes, attribute claims, and explain the context and potential next steps. - Hype 45 of 100, lower is better. Headlines use strong language like 'wild joke' and 'insults' but the body is more measured. Scored by MediaBias News; method at https://mediabias.news/methodology. **The short version** - Donald Trump called Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton "a pain in the ass" during a rally in Denton, Texas. - The remark followed reports of leaked audio in which Paxton allegedly told donors that a recent Republican convention Trump headlined negatively affected GOP poll numbers. - Paxton's senior adviser disputed the leaked audio, calling it 'manipulated nonsense' and stating internal polls show Paxton leading. - Trump reaffirmed his endorsement of Paxton for the U.S. Senate despite the remarks. Donald Trump publicly referred to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton as "a pain in the ass" during a rally in Denton, Texas. Trump made the comment while campaigning for Paxton, who is running for the U.S. Senate. The president also questioned Paxton's attendance at the rally, asking "Is he here, by the way?" before spotting him in the crowd. The remark followed reports of leaked audio in which Paxton allegedly told donors that a recent Republican convention headlined by Trump had a negative impact on GOP poll numbers. Paxton's senior adviser, Nick Maddux, disputed the report, calling the audio "manipulated nonsense" and stating that internal polls show Paxton leading. Trump reaffirmed his endorsement of Paxton for the Senate, calling him a "special man" and one of the most loyal people in his political orbit. ## Disagreement on leaked audio Reports of leaked audio quoted Ken Paxton telling donors that a recent Republican convention Trump headlined negatively impacted GOP poll numbers. Paxton's senior adviser, Nick Maddux, disputed this report, calling it 'manipulated nonsense' and stating internal polls show Paxton leading. The New York Times was cited by RadarOnline as the source of the leaked audio report. ## What the coverage left out None of the right-rated digests mention the specific details of the leaked audio report regarding Paxton's alleged comments about poll numbers dropping after the convention. The left-rated and centre-rated reports, including full reports from The Independent and RadarOnline, included these details and Paxton's defence against them. ## Who covered it Shares of the 9 covering outlets with a published leaning rating: - Left: 56% (5) - Centre: 22% (2) - Right: 22% (2) 0 of 9 covering outlets carried no usable leaning rating and were excluded from those percentages. Coverage measured 2026-10-02T19:00:41.460155+00:00. **Coverage watch:** developing. Checked 1 time; 0 checks found a material change. Most recently checked 2026-10-02T19:15:28.130Z. ## How the sides framed it ### Left - Left-rated reports from The Independent, LGBTQ Nation, Crooks and Liars, and Mediaite focused on Trump's insult to Paxton. The Independent's full report stated Trump called Paxton "a pain in the ass" and noted Paxton's tight U.S. Senate race against Democrat James Talarico. LGBTQ Nation and Mediaite highlighted Trump's surprise at seeing Paxton after making the insult. Crooks and Liars noted Trump's history of publicly insulting Paxton, referencing previous comments about Paxton's appearance and speaking ability. ### Centre - Centre-rated reports from RadarOnline and dailymail.com highlighted Trump's insult to Paxton during the rally. RadarOnline's full report detailed the exchange, including Trump's comment about Paxton being "a pain in the a--" and his subsequent questioning of his attendance. It also mentioned the convention controversy and earlier digs at Paxton's appearance. Dailymail.com's digest noted the comment was made while Paxton tries to defeat Democrat James Talarico in a race that could decide control of the Senate. ### Right - Right-rated reports from thedailybs.com and Times of India focused on Trump's endorsement of Paxton alongside the insult. Thedailybs.com's digest mentioned Trump calling Paxton "a pain in the ass" while simultaneously praising him as the country's best attorney general, and also noted the appearance of Dennis Rodman and a story about Democrat James Talarico. Times of India's digest described Trump's remarks as "unusually candid" about an endorsed candidate just weeks before the election. ## 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. - low: 2 - mixed: 4 - high: 3 ## 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 - [thedailybs.com](https://thedailybs.com/2026/10/02/trump-calls-ken-paxton-a-pain-in-the-ass-revives-talarico-vomiting-story-then-dennis-rodman-enters-the-speech) — Trump calls Ken Paxton a ‘pain in the ass,’ revives Talarico vomiting story — then Dennis Rodman enters the speech - [The Independent (US)](https://the-independent.com/bulletin/news/trump-ken-paxton-fight-midterms-texas-b3060599.html) — Trump gets petty with Ken Paxton during crucial Texas rally - [The Independent](https://independent.co.uk/bulletin/news/trump-ken-paxton-fight-midterms-texas-b3060599.html) — Trump gets petty with Ken Paxton during crucial Texas rally - [Times of India](https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international/world-news/one-of-the-most-trump-endorses-paxton-then-drops-a-wild-pain-in-the-a-joke/videoshow/134644601.cms) — 'One of the most...': Trump endorses Paxton, then drops a wild ‘pain in the a**’ joke - [RadarOnline](https://radaronline.com/p/donald-trump-insults-ken-paxton-again-during-rally) — Donald Trump Insults Ken Paxton Again During Texas Rally — After GOP Senate Nominee Got Dissing Prez in Leaked Audio - [LGBTQ Nation](https://lgbtqnation.com/2026/10/surprised-to-see-ken-paxton-standing-right-there-when-he-called-him-a-pain-in-the-a) — Trump surprised to see Ken Paxton standing right there when he called him a “pain in the a**” - [dailymail.com](https://dailymail.com/galleries/article-16178619/Trump-jokes-Ken-Paxton-pain-whilst-speaking-rally.html) — Trump jokes Ken Paxton is 'a pain' whilst speaking at rally - [Crooks and Liars](https://crooksandliars.com/2026/10/trump-tells-tx-rally-crowd-ken-paxton-pain) — Trump Tells TX Rally Crowd Ken Paxton Is A 'Pain In The A**' - [Mediaite](https://mediaite.com/politics/trump/trump-tells-crowd-ken-paxton-is-a-pain-in-the-a-before-asking-is-he-here-by-the-way) — Trump Tells Crowd Ken Paxton Is ‘A Pain in the A**’ Before Asking, ‘Is He Here, by the Way?’ ## Questions **What did Donald Trump say about Ken Paxton at the rally?** Donald Trump called Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton "a pain in the ass" during a rally in Denton, Texas. He also questioned if Paxton was present at the event before spotting him. **Why did Trump call Paxton a 'pain in the ass'?** The remark followed reports of leaked audio where Paxton allegedly told donors that a recent Republican convention Trump headlined negatively impacted GOP poll numbers. Paxton's team disputed the audio as 'manipulated nonsense'. **Did Trump withdraw his endorsement of Paxton?** No, Donald Trump reaffirmed his endorsement of Ken Paxton for the U.S. Senate despite the remarks made at the rally. He called Paxton a 'special man' and one of his most loyal allies. --- MediaBias News — https://mediabias.news. Reproduced from https://mediabias.news/politics/trump-calls-ken-paxton-pain-in-the-ass-at-texas-rally. Please cite as: MediaBias News, "Trump calls Ken Paxton 'pain in the ass' at Texas rally", https://mediabias.news/politics/trump-calls-ken-paxton-pain-in-the-ass-at-texas-rally