Meet Ken Paxton, a ‘true MAGA Warrior’ secretly blaming Trump’s Iran war and gas prices for ‘dragging’ on his campaign in Texas

Texas Republican Senate nominee Ken Paxton, a close ally of President Donald Trump, privately told donors last month that the ongoing Iran war and soaring fuel costs are “dragging” on his campaign. According to an audio obtained by Axios, Paxton, 63, was speaking at a closed‑door fundraiser in Washington, DC, when he was asked which issues were hurting his numbers.

“It’s not tariffs. … It’s the war, it’s gas prices, it’s diesel,” he said. “When it’s over $6 per gallon for diesel … people are feeling the pinch,” he added, noting that higher fuel costs “drives up food prices and everything else.” The Trump pick for Texas called affordability “by far our biggest problem” and said it explained why his campaign was “having a hard time with numbers.”

As per the outlet’s audio, when an attendee suggested he “can’t stop the war,” Paxton agreed, saying he has “no control over gas prices.” “So many factors in this federal race are uncontrollable. I don’t make the decisions, and I don’t … know what’s behind some of the decisions,” he said.



In May, President Donald Trump threw his support behind Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in the Republican Senate primary, backing his bid to unseat incumbent Sen. John Cornyn.

Calling Paxton a “true MAGA Warrior,” Trump said he had “ALWAYS delivered for Texas” and would continue to do so in the US Senate. In the May 19 post on Truth Social, Trump also said Paxton had “gone through a lot, in many cases, very unfairly.”

Also Read: Miami airport agents catch another Cuban with 11 live birds hidden under his clothes, he planned to breed and sell them for $120 each

Who is Ken Paxton?

Ken Paxton is Texas’ 51st attorney general, who was first elected in 2014 and then reelected in 2018 and 2022. He is now the Republican nominee for the state’s US Senate seat. The National Association of Attorneys General (NAAG) in Paxton’s biography describes him as having a “principled and uncompromising devotion to America’s founding values” and notes him as a leader with “deep-seated respect” for the US Constitution.

He previously served in both chambers of the Texas Legislature. He represented the state House from 2002 and later served in the Texas Senate after his 2012 election. As attorney general, NAAG says he filed lawsuits against the federal government over issues including immigration, health care, and environmental policy, while also launching a unit targeting human trafficking.

While his father was stationed at Minot Air Force Base 1962, Paxton was born on December 23, in North Dakota’s Minot. He graduated in 1985 from Baylor University with a B.A. in psychology and got an M.B.A. a year later.

He earned a law degree from the University of Virginia School of Law in 1991. After law school, he joined Strasburger & Price, LLP, and later served as in-house counsel for J.C. Penney Company.

On the personal front, Paxton met his wife, Angela, while they were students at Baylor University. Angela works as a guidance counselor at Legacy Christian Academy in Frisco. The couple have four children, Tucker, Abby, Mattie and Katie, and are members of Prestonwood Baptist Church in Plano.