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KAKISTOCRACY (noun) — Government by the worst, least qualified, or most unscrupulous people.
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53 articles tagged “NATO”.

Steve Hilton Is Losing Badly, So His Campaign Is Getting Weird — article image
October 5, 2026

Steve Hilton Is Losing Badly, So His Campaign Is Getting Weird

# Leaked Recording Exposes Republican Anxiety Over Trump Ahead of Midterms **October 3, 2026** For years, Republican candidates have publicly embraced Donald Trump, sought his endorsement and competed to demonstrate their loyalty to the president. But a leaked recording from Texas offers a glimpse of a very different conversation taking place behind closed doors. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton—the Republican nominee for U.S. Senate, a longtime Trump ally and a candidate whose primary victory was aided by Trump's endorsement—was secretly recorded telling donors that Republicans' polling numbers fell after Trump's highly publicized midterm convention in Dallas. The gathering was specifically designed to help Republican candidates. According to Paxton, it did the opposite. "So to be honest with you, the numbers—when we did that convention—it dropped our numbers," Paxton said on the recording. Then he added: **"Everybody's numbers dropped. Right now, yeah, not good."** For Republicans approaching a difficult midterm election, those may be some of the most revealing words spoken during the campaign. ## A Private Conversation Republicans Weren't Supposed to Hear The recording reportedly came from a private gathering of conservative donors and lobbyists. An unidentified person can be heard asking Paxton: "Do you feel like he's a little bit of a drag?" There is an important qualification. The audio does not clearly establish whom the questioner meant by "he." It would therefore go beyond the evidence to claim that Paxton explicitly called Trump himself a political drag. But Paxton's response immediately turned to Trump's Dallas convention and its effect on Republican polling. "When we did that convention," Paxton said, "it dropped our numbers." And not merely his own. "Everybody's numbers dropped." The New York Times reported that attendees corroborated Paxton's presence and comments. Reuters reported on the recording but said it had not independently authenticated the audio. Paxton's campaign has attacked the story. Senior adviser Nick Maddux called it "manipulated nonsense" and argued that the campaign's internal polling showed Paxton leading Democratic nominee James Talarico. The campaign has not publicly demonstrated that Paxton's quoted remarks themselves were digitally altered. ## The Convention Was Supposed to Help Republicans That makes Paxton's assessment particularly striking. Trump's two-night Republican midterm convention at the American Airlines Center in Dallas was created to energize Republican voters heading into November. It was centered overwhelmingly around Trump. His image appeared throughout the arena. Speakers repeatedly praised his presidency. Trump himself delivered a lengthy address and urged supporters to approach the midterms as though he personally were on the ballot. The president later described the event as an enormous success. But the visual picture was more complicated. Despite Trump's descriptions of a packed event, news organizations documented thousands of empty seats, including large portions of the arena's upper level. And now one of the Republican candidates the convention was intended to help has privately said that polling declined afterward. ## Paxton Isn't a Never-Trumper That distinction matters. This isn't criticism coming from a retiring Republican senator, a former Trump official promoting a book or a moderate Republican who broke with the MAGA movement years ago. This is Ken Paxton. Trump endorsed Paxton against longtime Republican Sen. John Cornyn. Paxton defeated the four-term senator and became the Republican nominee. Trump's political operation has subsequently invested heavily in helping Paxton win the general election. Paxton has spent years closely aligned with Trump and the MAGA movement. That's precisely why his private comments are notable. Publicly, Trump remains enormously influential inside the Republican Party. Privately, one of his closest political allies appears concerned that a major Trump-centered campaign event hurt Republican candidates. ## Trump Says the Convention Was ‘Amazing’ Trump offered a completely different assessment when reporters asked him about Paxton's remarks. The president said he hadn't heard about the comments. "But I can tell you that the convention was amazing," Trump responded. Trump pointed to television viewership and argued that the event helped other Republican candidates. Vice President JD Vance similarly dismissed the controversy, saying he wasn't particularly concerned about something Paxton said during an off-the-record conversation with a donor. The White House's message was straightforward: The convention was successful. Paxton's private assessment was equally straightforward: Their numbers went down. Both statements cannot independently establish what actually caused any movement in polling. Changes in voter support can result from numerous events, and the leaked recording itself doesn't prove the Dallas convention caused Republican numbers to fall. But it does establish something politically significant: **Paxton believed it did.** ## Texas Wasn't Supposed to Be This Difficult The anxiety surrounding Paxton's campaign is understandable. Texas hasn't elected a Democrat statewide since 1994. Trump carried the state comfortably in 2024. Yet Paxton is now locked in a competitive Senate contest with Democrat James Talarico. Recent independent polls have shown Talarico competitive with or ahead of Paxton, although surveys differ and Paxton's campaign has released internal polling showing the Republican ahead. A recent Fox News poll found Talarico leading Paxton **51% to 49% among likely voters**, a two-point difference within that poll's margin of error. Among all registered voters, Talarico's advantage was larger. The result was surprising enough that Fox & Friends host Ainsley Earhardt reacted on air by asking: **"How is that possible?"** Paxton's leaked remarks may provide at least part of his own answer. He believes the Republican convention hurt. ## Trump's Own Numbers Have Deteriorated The controversy also arrives amid broader evidence of weakening public approval for the president. Recent national surveys have consistently shown Trump underwater. A Reuters/Ipsos poll put Trump's approval at 32%. State-level polling has also shown substantial deterioration since the beginning of his second term, including in states he carried in 2024. That doesn't mean Trump is necessarily responsible for every Republican candidate struggling this year. Candidates have their own records, opponents and local political environments. Paxton himself is a polarizing political figure whose favorability numbers present challenges independent of Trump. But presidents inevitably shape the political environment surrounding midterm elections. Republican candidates have to decide how closely to attach themselves to a president who remains extremely popular with much of their party's base but significantly less popular with the electorate overall. That creates a difficult calculation. They need Trump's voters. They may also need voters who don't like Trump. ## Trump Calls Paxton ‘A Pain in the Ass’ The relationship became even more awkward after the recording emerged. Trump traveled to Texas to campaign for Paxton. During an appearance in Denton, Trump began talking about the Republican nominee. "He's a pain in the ass sometimes," Trump joked. Then Trump apparently realized Paxton was sitting in the audience. "Oh, he's here?" Trump quickly shifted back to praise, calling Paxton the country's greatest attorney general and reaffirming his support for the Republican nominee. The exchange was humorous. But the timing was extraordinary. Days earlier, Paxton had privately complained that Republican polling declined after Trump's convention. Now Trump was publicly campaigning for him while joking about his irritation with the candidate. ## Public Loyalty, Private Anxiety None of this demonstrates that Republicans have collectively abandoned Trump. They clearly haven't. Trump remains the dominant figure inside the Republican Party, Republican candidates continue seeking his support and party leaders continue publicly defending him. Nor does Paxton's leaked conversation prove that Trump will hurt Republicans in November. Election results will answer that question. But the recording exposes something considerably more subtle. There is a difference between the Republican Party's public presentation of Trump and the private calculations individual candidates must make about him. Publicly, Trump's convention was "amazing." Privately, Paxton said: **"It dropped our numbers."** Publicly, Republicans continue presenting Trump as their greatest political asset. Privately, a Republican Senate nominee is examining polling and worrying about what happened after the president came to help. That doesn't mean Republicans are "done with Trump." It does mean that, with the midterms approaching and Trump's approval ratings substantially underwater, at least some Republicans are confronting a question that was once almost unthinkable inside the MAGA-era GOP: **What happens when Donald Trump's ability to energize Republican voters collides with his ability to energize voters who oppose him?** — article image
October 4, 2026

Leaked Recording Exposes Republican Anxiety Over Trump Ahead of Midterms

Judge Orders DOJ to Fast-Track Epstein Records Mentioning Trump and Mar-a-Lago — article image
October 3, 2026

Judge Orders DOJ to Fast-Track Epstein Records Mentioning Trump and Mar-a-Lago

Trump Is Using Taxpayer Money to Air Campaign-Style Ads About Himself — article image
October 3, 2026

Trump Is Using Taxpayer Money to Air Campaign-Style Ads About Himself

Jack Smith Probe Swept Up Financial Records of Thousands of Trump Donors and Journalists’ Communications — article image
October 3, 2026

Jack Smith Probe Swept Up Financial Records of Thousands of Trump Donors and Journalists’ Communications

Trump Tried to Fix America’s Beef Crisis. His Own Policies May Be Making It Worse — article image
October 2, 2026

Trump Tried to Fix America’s Beef Crisis. His Own Policies May Be Making It Worse

Jack Smith to Congress: “President Trump Engaged in Serious Crimes Against Our Nation” — article image
September 30, 2026

Jack Smith to Congress: “President Trump Engaged in Serious Crimes Against Our Nation”

Hegseth Faces Deadline to Explain Billions in Iran War Spending — Including $1.2 Billion for Unspecified “Administration Priorities” — article image
September 30, 2026

Hegseth Faces Deadline to Explain Billions in Iran War Spending — Including $1.2 Billion for Unspecified “Administration Priorities”

Winter Is Coming — And Trump’s Oil Crisis Is About to Get Much Harder to Hide — article image
September 27, 2026

Winter Is Coming — And Trump’s Oil Crisis Is About to Get Much Harder to Hide

rump Moves to Cancel Nearly $1 Billion Congress Already Approved — article image
September 27, 2026

rump Moves to Cancel Nearly $1 Billion Congress Already Approved

Trump-Aligned Congressman Bars Reporter From Campaign Event After Critical Coverage — article image
September 26, 2026

Trump-Aligned Congressman Bars Reporter From Campaign Event After Critical Coverage

The Senate Had Another Chance to Rein In Trump's Iran War. It Failed by One Vote. — article image
September 25, 2026

The Senate Had Another Chance to Rein In Trump's Iran War. It Failed by One Vote.

Tommy Tuberville Seems to Have Found Another Group of Americans to Fear — article image
September 25, 2026

Tommy Tuberville Seems to Have Found Another Group of Americans to Fear

Don Jr.’s Russian Wedding Controversy Escalates as Republican Senator Calls for Subpoena — article image
September 22, 2026

Don Jr.’s Russian Wedding Controversy Escalates as Republican Senator Calls for Subpoena

Republican Senator Calls for Trump Jr. Subpoena as Questions Grow Over Trump Family Business Empire — article image
September 22, 2026

Republican Senator Calls for Trump Jr. Subpoena as Questions Grow Over Trump Family Business Empire

Trump Declares Victory on Greenland — But the Deal Falls Far Short of the Takeover He Demanded — article image
September 21, 2026

Trump Declares Victory on Greenland — But the Deal Falls Far Short of the Takeover He Demanded

John Kennedy Says Trump Will End the Iran War in Six Months — Without Explaining How — article image
September 21, 2026

John Kennedy Says Trump Will End the Iran War in Six Months — Without Explaining How

Trump Heads to the United Nations With America’s Traditional Alliances Under Strain — article image
December 31, 1969

Trump Heads to the United Nations With America’s Traditional Alliances Under Strain

Greg Abbott Is Losing to a Democrat in Texas — New Poll Puts Hinojosa Ahead by 4 — article image
September 21, 2026

Greg Abbott Is Losing to a Democrat in Texas — New Poll Puts Hinojosa Ahead by 4

Trump Announces a New Greenland Security Deal. America Already Had One. — article image
September 19, 2026

Trump Announces a New Greenland Security Deal. America Already Had One.

Trump Sent Two Real Estate Dealmakers to End the Ukraine War. The War Is Still Going. — article image
September 18, 2026

Trump Sent Two Real Estate Dealmakers to End the Ukraine War. The War Is Still Going.

Trump Escalates Trade Dispute With Canada With New 50% Tariffs — article image
July 20, 2026

Trump Escalates Trade Dispute With Canada With New 50% Tariffs

After Months of Downplaying COVID, Trump Is Now the Patient — article image
October 6, 2020

After Months of Downplaying COVID, Trump Is Now the Patient

Chris Christie Hospitalized With COVID as Virus Tears Through Trump's Inner Circle — article image
October 3, 2020

Chris Christie Hospitalized With COVID as Virus Tears Through Trump's Inner Circle

The White House COVID Outbreak Explodes — article image
October 3, 2020

The White House COVID Outbreak Explodes

Trump Begins U.S. Withdrawal From Landmark Nuclear Arms Treaty — article image
January 1, 2019

Trump Begins U.S. Withdrawal From Landmark Nuclear Arms Treaty

Kavanaugh Confirmed to Supreme Court as Women Fear for Reproductive Rights — article image
October 6, 2018

Kavanaugh Confirmed to Supreme Court as Women Fear for Reproductive Rights

Kavanaugh Confirmation Battle Reaches Its Final Stage — article image
October 5, 2018

Kavanaugh Confirmation Battle Reaches Its Final Stage

FBI Delivers Kavanaugh Investigation to Trump White House — article image
October 4, 2018

FBI Delivers Kavanaugh Investigation to Trump White House

Trump Mocks Christine Blasey Ford’s Testimony as Crowd Cheers — article image
October 2, 2018

Trump Mocks Christine Blasey Ford’s Testimony as Crowd Cheers

Trump Signs Sweeping Tax Law With Permanent Corporate Tax Cut — article image
December 22, 2017

Trump Signs Sweeping Tax Law With Permanent Corporate Tax Cut

Trump Uses “Pocahontas” Attack During Ceremony Honoring Navajo Code Talkers — article image
November 27, 2017

Trump Uses “Pocahontas” Attack During Ceremony Honoring Navajo Code Talkers

After Repeal Fails, Trump Ends Obamacare Insurance Payments — article image
October 12, 2017

After Repeal Fails, Trump Ends Obamacare Insurance Payments

Trump Escalates the NFL Anthem Fight From the Presidential Podium — article image
September 23, 2017

Trump Escalates the NFL Anthem Fight From the Presidential Podium

Republican Effort to Repeal Obamacare Fails Again in the Senate — article image
July 26, 2017

Republican Effort to Repeal Obamacare Fails Again in the Senate

James Comey Takes His Case Against Trump Before the American Public — article image
June 8, 2017

James Comey Takes His Case Against Trump Before the American Public

Trump's Awkward Moment With Montenegro's Prime Minister Draws Attention at NATO — article image
May 25, 2017

Trump's Awkward Moment With Montenegro's Prime Minister Draws Attention at NATO

Trump Raises the Possibility of Secret Comey Tapes — Then Keeps Washington Guessing — article image
May 12, 2017

Trump Raises the Possibility of Secret Comey Tapes — Then Keeps Washington Guessing

Senate Republicans Cheat to Put Neil Gorsuch on the Supreme Court — article image
March 6, 2017

Senate Republicans Cheat to Put Neil Gorsuch on the Supreme Court

Airport Protests Erupt Across America After Trump's Travel Ban — article image
January 28, 2017

Airport Protests Erupt Across America After Trump's Travel Ban

Trump Pulls the United States Out of the Trans-Pacific Partnership — article image
January 23, 2017

Trump Pulls the United States Out of the Trans-Pacific Partnership

The World Wakes Up to President Trump — article image
November 9, 2016

The World Wakes Up to President Trump

Second Amendment People, Maybe There Is”: Trump Remark Sparks Furor Over Hillary Clinton — article image
August 9, 2016

Second Amendment People, Maybe There Is”: Trump Remark Sparks Furor Over Hillary Clinton

Trump Goes After Heidi Cruz: The Republican Primary Turns Personal — article image
July 22, 2016

Trump Goes After Heidi Cruz: The Republican Primary Turns Personal

This Is Really Happening: America Realizes Donald Trump Could Actually Win — article image
February 26, 2016

This Is Really Happening: America Realizes Donald Trump Could Actually Win

Trump Wins New Hampshire — And the Political Establishment Realizes This Is No Joke — article image
February 9, 2016

Trump Wins New Hampshire — And the Political Establishment Realizes This Is No Joke

Trump University: The Business Scandal Following Donald Trump Into the 2016 Campaign — article image
February 2, 2016

Trump University: The Business Scandal Following Donald Trump Into the 2016 Campaign

Trump Loses Iowa: The First Votes of 2016 Deliver an Upset — article image
February 1, 2016

Trump Loses Iowa: The First Votes of 2016 Deliver an Upset

The Rally That Showed Trump’s Campaign Was Becoming Something Much Bigger — article image
August 26, 2015

The Rally That Showed Trump’s Campaign Was Becoming Something Much Bigger

Trump vs. Megyn Kelly: The Debate Fight That Became a Campaign War — article image
August 7, 2015

Trump vs. Megyn Kelly: The Debate Fight That Became a Campaign War

I Like People That Weren’t Captured”: Trump Attacks John McCain’s War Record — article image
July 18, 2015

I Like People That Weren’t Captured”: Trump Attacks John McCain’s War Record

Everyone Thought Donald Trump Was a Joke. Then He Started Taking Over the Republican Race. — article image
June 25, 2015

Everyone Thought Donald Trump Was a Joke. Then He Started Taking Over the Republican Race.

Donald Trump Announces His Run for President — article image
June 16, 2015

Donald Trump Announces His Run for President