Trump on Paxton: No audio heard on convention polling dip

President Trump says he hasn’t heard the leaked audio of Ken Paxton grumbling about the RNC convention, and honestly, that’s the right answer. Not because we think he’s being coy — but because the entire premise of the question is a trap. The media wants a story about Republican infighting, about Paxton being ungrateful for the party’s support in his Texas Senate race against Democrat James Talarico. Instead, Trump did what he does best: he refused to take the bait and turned the conversation back to the convention’s success. The leak itself is the story the left wants to write, and ignoring it is the only winning move.

Let’s be real about what happened here. Paxton is running in a state that hasn’t elected a Democrat statewide since the 1990s. His race against Talarico shouldn’t be close, and if it is, the problem isn’t a two-day convention in Houston. The problem is candidate performance, plain and simple. Trump was right to celebrate the convention’s energy — the crowds, the unity, the sheer enthusiasm from the base. That’s what matters for the party’s momentum heading into the fall. The base’s loyalty doesn’t hinge on a single convention’s afterglow, and no amount of leaked griping changes the fact that Texas Republicans show up when it counts.

We’d also note that Paxton’s complaint, if real, sounds like a man looking for an excuse. The RNC’s job is to fire up the faithful and set the stage for a coordinated message. It did that. If Paxton didn’t get a polling bump, maybe he should look at his own operation instead of blaming the party’s biggest draw. The show being one giant campaign ad for the party’s agenda is the point, and Trump delivered that. Paxton would be wise to remember who fills the seats at those rallies — and who’s going to drag him across the finish line in November. We’re not worried about a few seconds of leaked tape. That’s what the party needs to focus on, not manufactured drama.