The audio is the latest in a series of recordings from a single donor meeting last month that have been leaked in pieces to multiple outlets. Earlier leaks featured Paxton blaming the Iran war and diesel prices above $6 per gallon as primary burdens on his campaign, which currently trails Democrat James Talarico by 6 points in some polling. Donald Trump has maintained his endorsement of Paxton, stating he has "no regrets at all" despite the recordings.
Wednesday, October 21, 2026
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Ken Paxton Backs Social Security Cuts in New Leaked Audio
US Politics13 days ago
Texas Republican Senate nominee Ken Paxton’s support for reducing federal benefit spending to lower the national deficit surfaced in new leaked audio published by the Texas Tribune. Paxton advocated for "reasonable cuts to mandatory spending," which primarily encompasses Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, telling a private group that the government will have to make those reductions and that "we have to suck it up."
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