US President Donald Trump has declared he has "no regrets at all" regarding his endorsement of Ken Paxton in the Senate race in Texas, despite a leaked audio recording in which Paxton blamed the US war on Iran and rising fuel prices for complicating his campaign.
Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Trump praised Paxton, saying, "He was a great attorney general, I think he will be a great senator." The president's comments follow a report by US news website Axios, which cited a leaked recording from a meeting Paxton held with donors and lobbyists in Washington, DC, last month. In the audio, Paxton privately lamented that "so many factors in this federal race are uncontrollable. I don't make the decisions." Paxton added, "It's not tariffs. It's the war, it's gas prices, it's diesel."
When asked if he agreed with Paxton's assertion that the conflict with Iran and high fuel costs represent the most significant hurdles for Republicans in the upcoming midterm elections, Trump offered a different perspective. He argued that the war is "won from the standpoint of what we have to do," emphasizing that the US has "taken away their nuclear power." "We've essentially accomplished that," Trump said. Trump claimed that Iran's military and "whole country" are currently "wiped out" and that the situation "will be over very quickly." He added that once the conflict concludes, "oil prices will come tumbling down."
The political stakes remain high as Americans prepare to vote in the midterm elections on November 3. Although Trump is not on the ballot, the elections will decide control of Congress, as well as key governorships and state-level seats, shaping the remainder of his presidential term. A Democratic takeover of either chamber would allow them to restrict Trump's legislative agenda and increase oversight, whereas Republican victories would maintain the party's control in Washington.
Outlining the core message for Republicans heading into the final stretch of the campaign, Trump expressed optimism. He asserted that the party is "doing really well" and reiterated that the US is "beating Iran very badly" and preventing them from obtaining a nuclear weapon. Beyond foreign policy, Trump highlighted domestic achievements, claiming that a record-breaking $21 trillion has been injected into the country, leading to new factories and plants. He also claimed that crime statistics are at their lowest level in approximately 125 years.
They're not going to have a nuclear weapon, which is very paramount.""We are having-it was just announced-the largest amount of money in history ever put into a country, $21 trillion.
