Donald Trump is spending an extraordinary amount of time trying to help Republican Senate candidate Ken Paxton win in Texas.
But apparently, that doesn’t mean the president likes everything about the man he’s endorsing.
During Wednesday’s edition of CNN News Central, anchor Kate Bolduan played a remarkable montage of Trump’s own comments about Paxton — and it sounded less like a traditional political endorsement than a running critique of the candidate’s appearance, clothing and speaking style.
The timing was particularly notable.
Trump was preparing for his third campaign trip to Texas in a month, with Paxton facing Democrat James Talarico in a competitive Senate race.
Bolduan introduced the footage by pointing out that Trump’s endorsement of Paxton had not always sounded particularly enthusiastic.
Then CNN rolled the tape.
In one clip, Trump told supporters that Paxton might not dress correctly, might not speak perfectly and might not be especially good-looking.
In another, the president recalled telling Paxton directly that he disliked his appearance, clothing and manner of speaking.
And in a third, Trump acknowledged that his chosen candidate could sometimes be difficult to deal with.
After the montage ended, Bolduan offered a brief reaction:
“So there’s that.”
The clips were assembled from earlier remarks, not a new confrontation between Trump and Paxton. But hearing them back-to-back created an unusual portrait of the president’s relationship with the Republican he is campaigning to elect.
Trump has continued to endorse Paxton despite those comments, and some of the original remarks were delivered in a joking tone.
Still, the CNN segment came amid broader questions about Republican prospects in the November midterms.
Bolduan reported that Republicans were increasingly concerned about competitive races, including contests in states that have traditionally been reliable Republican territory.
Texas has become a particular focus.
Trump’s repeated campaign visits underscore the attention Republicans are giving the Senate contest between Paxton and Talarico.
And the president’s remarks aren’t the only uncomfortable comments surrounding the race.
In separate audio obtained by Axios, Paxton privately identified the Iran war and rising fuel prices as major problems for his campaign.
Speaking to donors and lobbyists at a Washington fundraiser, Paxton pointed to diesel prices and the resulting pressure on food and transportation costs.
He also acknowledged that many of the factors affecting his campaign were outside his control.
“I don’t make the decisions,” Paxton said, referring to the broader circumstances surrounding the race.
His campaign dismissed the leaked recording as a non-story, arguing that Paxton was simply recognizing the financial pressures facing Texas families and proposing ways to address them.
The contrast is striking.
Trump is publicly campaigning for Paxton while repeatedly making jokes about the candidate’s appearance and personality.
Meanwhile, Paxton has privately expressed concern about the political effects of the war and high prices — issues closely associated with decisions made in Washington.
Neither development changes the fact that Trump continues to support Paxton.
But together, they reveal some of the tensions surrounding a Republican Senate campaign that has attracted national attention.
And CNN managed to capture one particularly unusual part of that relationship in a single television montage.
A president trying to help elect his chosen candidate.
And a collection of the president’s own words explaining what he doesn’t particularly like about him.
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