Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, the Republican nominee for U.S. Senate, got ripped apart by undecided voters during a recent focus group conducted by The New York Times.
The 12 participants, identified only by their first names, voted for President Donald Trump in 2024 but now say they’re either considering voting for Democrat James Talarico or sitting out the election altogether.
When asked what words they would use to describe Paxton, the participants did not hold back.
“Crook,” Robert D., a 63-year-old independent, said.
“Criminal, crook, all those. Yeah,” Sebastian, a 50-year-old independent, said.
“Two words: morally corrupt,” Robert S., a 52-year-old Republican, said.
Other comments made by the participants included “disgusting,” “womanizer,” “amoral” and “controversial.”
When asked why he would describe Paxton as “crooked,” Robert D. said it was about things he’s done during his tenure as Texas attorney general.
“There are criminals that he’s let off the hook, so to speak. It’s just a lot of different things like that,” Robert said.
Read more Judge Lifts Trump’s White House Media Ban, Flock Cameras Come Under Fire In Congress: Live Updates
Regarding Talarico, participants used more favorable language to describe him, but they weren’t all sold on voting for him.
“Progressive.” Jeffrey, a 34-year-old independent, said.
“Fresh. Hopefully my message to Washington,” Sebastian said.
Others also called him “fresh,” along with “inspiring” and “new.”
Some had harsher words for the Democrat, including “ineffective” and “neutral.”
“I can’t do one word. I don’t agree with his morals. Even though he acts like that’s a big deal. I don’t believe it is,” Pam, a 66-year-old Republican, said.
Seven out of the 12 participants said they would vote for incumbent Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) over Talarico if he were the nominee.
Trump notably endorsed Paxton over Cornyn in the Republican primary, despite the Texas attorney general being mired in numerous scandals, including impeachment in 2023 and indictment on state securities fraud charges.
The key U.S. Senate race, which could decide control of the upper chamber of Congress in November, is still a tight contest, with Talarico currently holding a slight edge, according to the latest poll results.
Read more Canadians Hit Back At Trump’s Name Changes By Taking Away This ‘Embarrassing’ Honor
Leave a Reply