Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, the Republican nominee for U.S. Senate, appeared to equate his own legal and ethical controversies with those of President Donald Trump during a live television interview on Sunday, just days after securing the GOP nomination with Trump’s endorsement.
In an exchange on Fox News’ Sunday Morning Futures with host Maria Bartiromo, Paxton was pressed on his record and public perception.
Bartiromo referenced a Wall Street Journal description of Paxton as “scandal-plagued” and asked how he planned to address his own vulnerabilities rather than solely criticizing Democrats.
Paxton responded by attributing the criticism to longtime Republican strategist Karl Rove and other establishment figures.
“The reality is they could say the same thing about Donald Trump,” he said, according to a transcript and video clip of the broadcast.
The Texas Republican went on to defend himself by drawing a direct parallel.
“When you’re fighting the fight, unfortunately, you get attacked,” Paxton stated. “And when you do that, and they’re not successful, they still accuse you of things. Accusations don’t mean the thing actually happened. They have to prove these things in our country.”
He added: “That they did not do with President Trump, they did not do with me, and yet they continue to act like something bad happened when they have no proof of it.”
As reported by The Daily Beast, the comments quickly drew attention online, with Americans noting the unusual optics of a Trump-endorsed candidate appearing to show similarities in their controversies rather than distancing himself.
Paxton, 63, has faced multiple legal challenges. In 2015, he was indicted on state securities-fraud charges. The case was later resolved without a trial; Paxton completed restitution and community service requirements, and the charges were ultimately dismissed.
In 2023, the Texas House of Representatives impeached Paxton on 16 articles of misconduct, including allegations of abuse of office and bribery related to a donor.
The Texas Senate acquitted him in September 2023. Paxton has consistently denied wrongdoing and described the proceedings as politically motivated.
He has also faced whistleblower complaints from former aides in his office and personal matters, including reports of an extramarital affair that contributed to a divorce filing by his wife, Angela Paxton, a state senator.
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Paxton has denied certain allegations while characterizing others as unfounded attacks.
Despite these issues, Paxton won a competitive Republican primary runoff on May 26 against incumbent Sen. John Cornyn. Trump’s late but firm endorsement proved decisive, helping Paxton defeat the more establishment-oriented Cornyn by a wide margin.
The primary battle proved expensive for Republicans. GOP insiders told Politico the contest cost the party approximately $135 million, diverting resources from other races.
Paxton now faces Democrat James Talarico, a former state representative, in November. While Texas remains a strongly Republican state, recent polling has shown the race to be more competitive than many expected, with donor fatigue and lingering primary divisions cited as potential factors.
Trump has continued to back Paxton, posting support on social media following the runoff victory. The president has not publicly addressed Paxton’s Sunday comments as of late Sunday evening.
