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Texas Republican Senate nominee Ken Paxton privately lamented the impact of the Iran war and gas prices on his campaign in a meeting last month, telling a group of donors and lobbyists, "I don't make the decisions," according to audio obtained by Axios. Why it matters: It's a candid admission from a close Trump ally about the challenging environment Republicans face this cycle. Paxton, the Texas attorney general, was speaking to donors and lobbyists at a closed-door fundraiser in Washington, D.C. The audio was provided to Axios by a person, granted anonymity because it was a private event, who was in the meeting and is opposed to Paxton. President Trump is set to rally with Paxton in San Antonio on Wednesday. Driving the news: Asked by one attendee what issues are "dragging" on his campaign, Paxton responded, "It's not tariffs. ... It's the war, it's gas prices, it's diesel," according to an audio file obtained by Axios. "When it's over $6 per gallon for diesel ... people are feeling t
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independent outlets · 100% owner-diverse
The reporting across outlets is consistent, relying on leaked audio recordings as the primary source to attribute specific comments to Ken Paxton. The language is definitive, focusing on the contents of the private meeting.
Describes tone and sourcing pattern only — never assesses whether the story is true. See methodology.
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