- Donald Trump publicly called Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton "a pain in the ass" during a speech at a manufacturing plant in Denton, Texas.
- Trump's jab followed leaked audio of Paxton telling donors that the recent Republican convention headlined by Trump negatively impacted GOP poll numbers.
- "He can be a pain in the ass sometimes, I'll be honest,” the president said about the Republican nominee whom he endorsed. Trump then looked to his left and asked: “Is he here, by the way? Oh, there he is. Good. I didn't even know if he was here! I don't care."
- Paxton is currently locked in a tight U.S. Senate race against Democratic opponent James Talarico, who leads in several recent polls. A senior adviser for Paxton disputed the report, characterizing the leaked conversation as manipulated nonsense and stating that internal polls show Paxton ahead.
- Despite repeatedly poking fun at Paxton's appearance and fashion sense, Trump reaffirmed his endorsement of Paxton for the U.S. Senate.
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