I’ve heard the Axios audio from Ken Paxton’s September fundraiser in Washington. Consequently, I know precisely what this man thinks of Trump’s illegal war on Iran. He told donors and lobbyists: “It’s the war, it’s gas prices, it’s diesel.” He called affordability “by far our biggest problem.” He admitted the campaign was “having a hard time with numbers” because of it. He confessed: “So many factors in this federal race are uncontrollable. I don’t make the decisions.”
He added: “I don’t know what’s behind some of the decisions” in Washington. Yet Paxton campaigned with Trump in San Antonio and praised his “courageous leadership” in the illegal war on Iran. After the February 28 strikes, he tweeted: “Thank you President Trump for your courageous leadership.” He said publicly: “I am very glad that he did it.”
In a September Bloomberg interview, he said he would have preferred the war come “later, after the midterm election.” That shows no conviction; that shows cowardice wearing a flag pin. He wanted the war delayed for politics, not stopped. Therefore, he knows this war is burying Texas. He simply lacks the spine to say it aloud. In private, he whispers the truth. In public, he kisses Trump’s ring.
The Liar in the White House and His Texas Enabler
Trump lies, and I won’t soften that word for anyone. On October 23, he told a Florida rally: “We may do another little Epic Fury, or they’ll agree.” He claimed Operations Midnight Hammer and Epic Fury “obliterated” Iran’s nuclear enrichment capacity. That’s fantasy, and every serious analyst knows it. Furthermore, his own envoy, Tom Barrack, said a strike could come “this weekend.” Trump then claimed he knew nothing about it. “That was my ambassador?” he asked reporters. “I don’t know anything about it.” That shows no command; that shows chaos at the top. Crucially, Trump had previously promised not to attack before the November 3 midterms. He is now openly hedging on that promise. Consequently, Paxton is cheering for a president who cannot keep the illegal war on Iran straight. He plays no victim of circumstance; he serves as Trump’s accomplice.
The Illegal War That Congress Never Authorized
This illegal war on Iran began on February 28 without a congressional vote, and that alone should end Paxton’s career. Trump ordered strikes on Iran while demanding regime change.
He has never offered evidence of an imminent threat to America. I have worn the uniform, and I know what an oath means. It means defending the Constitution even when your party’s leader violates it. Paxton is Texas’s chief law enforcement officer, and he cannot bring himself to defend the law. Instead, he hides behind Trump’s endorsement and hopes voters forget. In Bloomberg, he said: “I trust him, and I think he’s looking out for the American people. So I’d say, right now, I’ve just got to trust him, because I don’t know all of the facts.”
That shows no trust; that shows career preservation dressed as loyalty. His silence on congressional authorization isn’t an oversight; it’s a confession. Therefore, when he calls this “leadership,” he is endorsing an illegal act.
The Strategic Disaster Paxton Privately Admits
I said from the start that Iran would not collapse under bombing, and I was right. The war is now in its eighth month, and Iran is stronger, not weaker. On October 24, Iran’s armed forces chief Ali Abdollahi warned that US warships will never enter the Persian Gulf. “He will take that dream to his grave,” Abdollahi said. Reuters reported on October 23 that Iran has detailed operational plans to strike undersea communications cables in the Gulf if the US or Israel resumes attacks. The IRGC specifically cited seven major internet cables under the Strait of Hormuz and warned of “new targets.” One Iranian security official said: “If Iran is attacked, there will be no more red lines. Everything from undersea cables to secret bases can be targeted.”
So, every new bomb only drags America deeper into a hole Trump cannot climb out of. Paxton’s leaked words confirm he understands this. He told donors the illegal war on Iran is “dragging” his campaign. That confession comes from a man who knows the emperor is naked.
The Cost to Texas That Trump and Paxton Ignore
Texas has taken the biggest financial hit of any state from this war. Governor Abbott declared a statewide disaster over diesel prices on September 28. The declaration allowed wider use of dyed diesel on public roads and suspended Texas Low Emission Diesel rules. AAA reported diesel hit a record $6.53 per gallon the previous week. Texas diesel averaged $5.86 a gallon on September 28, up from $3.30 before the war. The national average was around $6.45 per gallon, up from $3.76 when the war began. Consumers have paid roughly $11 billion more for fuel since February.
Texas truckers are “using every trick they can” to survive, according to The Wall Street Journal. Yet Paxton still praises the president who started the illegal war on Iran. He told donors affordability is “by far our biggest problem,” then campaigned with Trump anyway. That shows no conservatism; it shows incoherence. Therefore, when Paxton says he has “no control” over fuel prices, he is finally telling the truth. But he does control his voice. He could demand an end to this madness from the Senate floor.
Texas Deserves a Senator Who Will Stop This War
I will close with a question every Texas voter must answer before November 3. Do you want a Senator who whispers the truth to donors and shouts the lie to voters about the illegal war on Iran? The Fox News poll released October 21 shows Paxton and James Talarico tied at 49 percent each among likely voters. A University of Houston poll put Talarico ahead 48 to 46, within the margin of error.
A CBS News/YouGov poll from October 18 called the race a toss-up. Paxton has consolidated support among conservatives, rural voters, and suburban women since September. Talarico has challenged Paxton to debate on TMZ, calling his refusal “Low-T behavior.” Paxton has not agreed. Trump’s approval has crashed to 31 percent, the lowest of both terms.
Reuters/Ipsos found 68 percent disapprove of his economic management, including 37 percent of Republicans. Democrats lead the generic ballot 47 to 35, the widest gap of the cycle. Republican campaigns have spent less than $1 of every $100 on ads mentioning Trump. Democratic campaigns are spending $20 of every $100 linking Republicans to the war and rising costs. Even Don Jr. has broken with his father over the war’s effects on Republicans.
Money cannot buy courage, and it cannot buy honesty. Therefore, I call on every veteran, every trucker, and every parent paying six dollars for diesel to reject Paxton. He chose complicity. Texas must now choose accountability.