Leaked recording in the US stirs up Republicans: Paxton's post-Trump poll admission

Ahead of the upcoming midterm elections in the US, Donald Trump's influence over candidates has once again become a subject of debate within the Republican Party. A leaked voice recording, allegedly belonging to Republican Senate candidate Ken Paxton in Texas, has made the unease within the party regarding election strategy visible.

In the recording published by The New York Times, it is reported that Paxton said his campaign numbers declined following the midterm election rally that Trump attended and where he endorsed him. It was stated that this assessment was made at a fundraising meeting.

To be honest, when we held that rally, our numbers went down. Everyone's numbers went down. It's not good right now.

Trump, for his part, had argued that the rally in question was "very successful." For this reason, the recording has raised questions about how Trump's support for candidates is reflected at the ballot box within the Republican Party.

Following the emergence of the recordings, Paxton's campaign advisor Nick Maddux denied the allegations. Describing the recording as "manipulated nonsense," Maddux claimed that Paxton has been leading in the polls since September.

TEXAS WARNING IN POLLS

However, some publicly released polls point to a more challenging picture for Republicans. According to the latest poll conducted by Marist between September 17-20, Democratic candidate James Talarico received 50 percent support in Texas, where Republicans are strong, while Paxton remained at 44 percent.

In the same poll, 39 percent of voters stated that they would cast their vote as a "message against Trump," while 25 percent said their preference was intended to "support Trump." These results showed that the race in the state is being shaped not only by the candidates but also by Trump's political influence.

According to assessments by Reuters and the Associated Press, the decline in Trump's public support and the reaction to the cost of living are making the Republicans' goal of maintaining their majority in the Senate more difficult. Economic-focused dissatisfaction stands out as one of the issues deepening the uncertainty within the party as the midterm elections approach.