Trump makes convention pitch for Paxton: You may not like his looks, but he’s the best AG in Texas history

President Donald Trump made an unconventional appeal Wednesday night for Texans to elect state Attorney General Ken Paxton to the U.S. Senate at the Republican Party’s midterm convention.

Speaking to a primetime crowd, Trump doubled down on comments making fun of Paxton’s appearance and demeanor, while lauding his work as the Lone Star State’s top law enforcement official.

“He may not dress right, he may not talk exactly perfectly, and he may not be the best-looking guy I’ve ever seen. But you know what he is? He’s the greatest attorney general in America, and he deserves to be your next senator,” Trump told the crowd, emitting laughter. “I’m sorry, Ken. Where the hell is he? I’m so sorry. He’ll never speak to me again, but that’s okay.”

Paxton, the mild-mannered Texas Republican Senate nominee, used his convention speech hours earlier to spurn some in his own party, criticize Democratic rival James Talarico, and, perhaps most surprisingly, allude to the anxieties surrounding his ability to win the longtime conservative seat.

Paxton’s remarks came on the first evening of the two-day event in Dallas, and they began by railing against the “press, the courts, and the establishment,” who’ve “all tried to take President Trump down.”

But the roughly six-minute speech ended with a plea for prayers, votes, and donations in the face of a Democrat who’s outraising him and flushed with campaign cash. Sen. John Cornyn’s (R-TX) ouster in the primary by Trump-backed Paxton delivered national Republicans their worst nightmare less than two months from Election Day: a battleground toss-up contest with a once-impeached and scandal-prone nominee they’re preparing to divert tens of millions of dollars to.

“He is the most radical Democrat in Texas history, but he’s also the most well-funded,” Paxton said of Talarico, a state representative. “And that’s why today, I need your prayers, your votes, and your support. If we lose Texas, we lose the commonsense revolution. If we lose the commonsense revolution, we lose America.”

The midterm convention was held at Trump’s behest and is designed to generate party enthusiasm and donations in a midterm cycle where Democrats are gunning to retake both chambers. The event being held in Paxton’s backyard benefits him, but his speaking slot fell around local dinnertime and hours before the president delivered the keynote address, potentially limiting the candidate’s exposure to his supporters who were unable to attend the “Trump-a-Palooza” in person.

The rest of Paxton’s speech largely adhered to standard Republican policies and talking points made by preceding lawmakers and candidates, offering a disposition and message that some in the audience conceded lacked the gusto of a typical aspiring national politician.

“He might seem a little flat, but he’s really hard on what he does, the work that he does,” Christy Kinstley, a precinct chair for the Republican Party of San Patricio County, near Corpus Christi, told the Washington Examiner. “I think sometimes people are looking for that personality, but maybe that personality is not what’s needed. It’s that hard worker, it’s that thinker, it’s that fighter that people need, not the one that’s going to entertain all the time.”

Republican U.S. Senate candidate Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton speaks at the Republican convention Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2026, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

Courtney Shane, a vice chair for the San Patricio County GOP, similarly described Paxton’s disposition as “quiet” but described high political stakes if the party fails to unite around him and defeat Talarico.

“Yeah, he’s quiet, okay? He doesn’t have the extra power, and that’s why you see different senators coming up there,” Shane told the Washington Examiner. “He can get the job done. So, we’re going to push him on. We’re uniting. The Republican Party’s had a split because of the primary, but we’re uniting now. And everybody’s saying, ‘buyer’s remorse.’ We can’t do that right now. We can’t. We have to stop Talarico.”

THE GOP’S TEXAS-SIZED KEN PAXTON DILEMMA

Trump prodded rally goers and Republican voters to “pretend I’m on the ballot,” a line he now frequents in a bid to maximize turnout at the ballot box. He devoted several minutes of his remarks to praising and playfully ridiculing Paxton, recycling recent comments denigrating his style while admiring his work as Texas attorney general, particularly for helping to secure the southern border.

“Some may not like the way he dresses. I don’t. Although tonight he looked very spiffy in his blue suit. I must tell you. But they may not like the way he talks. I can see that. Not everybody — a lot of people don’t like the way I talk either, but we do get crowds,” Trump continued. “But here’s the news: In the history of Texas, he is the single greatest attorney general you’ve ever had, and maybe the top attorney general in the whole United States.”

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