Scott Jennings Critiques Ken Paxton's Comments on Trump

<figure><img alt="Scott Jennings and Ken Paxton" src="https://thedailybeast-thedailybeast-prod.web.arc-cdn.net/resizer/v2/AGIRMXXPH5D6ZMTMDCTNOMPUJI.jpg?auth=1e773a48df2759c09265ab64efdcfa726c206e47f1dfe00a0a4b5c0a753913e8&amp;smart=true&amp;width=2860&amp;height=1609" /><figcaption>Screengrab/CNN-Brian Snyder/Reuters</figcaption></figure><p>Scott Jennings, a political commentator associated with the MAGA movement, criticized Texas Senate candidate Ken Paxton after Paxton was recorded making negative remarks about Donald Trump, suggesting that Trump's actions had adversely affected his election prospects.</p><p>During an appearance on CNN’s <i>NewsNight with Abby Phillip</i>, Jennings advised Paxton to refrain from making such critical comments, stating that he should keep them private. Paxton was recorded saying that his polling numbers declined after attending a convention hosted by Trump in Dallas last month.</p><p>“So, to be honest with you, the numbers—when we did that convention—it dropped our numbers. Everybody’s numbers dropped,” Paxton stated. He added, “Right now, yeah, not good.”</p><img alt="Ken Paxton believes that attending Trump's midterm convention last month was a mistake. / Brian Snyder/Reuters" height="3006" src="https://thedailybeast-thedailybeast-prod.web.arc-cdn.net/resizer/v2/KCH33FGEZZANJGGABZ72PT6VEQ.JPG?auth=7861262d777be49b292fa1c927b38c23bc361a9431b1e632109b205dfc9f4688&amp;smart=true&amp;width=4509&amp;height=3006" width="4509" /><p>Jennings remarked that Paxton has a significant opportunity to win but requires Trump's support and the backing of Trump's voters. He expressed dissatisfaction with Paxton's comments, stating that even if Paxton believed he was being truthful, he should have kept such thoughts to himself and shown gratitude for support.</p><p>Phillip inquired whether Jennings thought Trump's convention was advantageous for the Republican Party. Jennings responded that many candidates running in individual House races benefited from the exposure at the convention, where they had the opportunity to deliver speeches and interact with donors.</p><p>The CNN panel previously discussed concerns regarding the Republican Party needing to invest substantial funds into Paxton’s campaign in Texas, a state typically considered a stronghold for Republicans.</p><p>Recent polls indicate that Paxton is trailing Democratic candidate James Talarico in the Texas Senate race, with a Marist Poll showing Talarico leading by 6 points (50 percent to 44 percent) as the midterms approach.</p><p>Paxton attended Trump’s convention, where Trump publicly criticized him, stating that Paxton “may not talk exactly perfectly, and he may not be the best-looking guy I’ve ever seen.”</p><p>The audio recording referenced was made at a private fundraising event in Washington, D.C., where someone asked Paxton about Trump's impact, though the identity of the person asking is unclear.</p><img alt="Republicans fear Donald Trump has cost the GOP the Texas Senate seat after he endorsed Ken Paxton over the veteran incumbent Sen. John Coryrn. / Nicholas Kamm/AFP via Getty" height="3357" src="https://thedailybeast-thedailybeast-prod.web.arc-cdn.net/resizer/v2/J6OMJW3KHJNRDKALWDLMBHYNEY.jpg?auth=8b5a5ad0299aafae9fb3797400b59e6189203c04d68f94376bd2fbb749adc879&amp;smart=true&amp;width=5036&amp;height=3357" width="5036" /><p>On Wednesday, Trump avoided addressing Paxton’s remarks during a question in the Oval Office and instead made inaccurate claims regarding the viewership of his convention, stating, “I can tell you that the convention was amazing, as you probably know. We had 107 million views.” He later clarified that this figure likely referred to social media impressions rather than actual viewership.</p>