Trump quips Paxton is ‘pain in the ass,’ ‘a little controversial’

President Trump quipped that Texas Senate GOP candidate Ken Paxton was “a pain in the ass” and acknowledged he was “a little controversial” during several stops in the Lone Star State and Oklahoma — unusually candid remarks about one of his own endorsees just weeks out from the November elections.

“When I was being hit by the radical left very hard — harder than very few people could have withstood it, I was being hit — Ken Paxton was at my side more than anybody,” Trump said at a Peterbilt Motors Company plant in Denton, Texas on Thursday.

“And I have to always remember that because he could be a pain in the ass sometimes, I’ll be honest,” he added. “Is he here, by the way? Oh, there he is — good. I didn’t even know if he’s here. I don’t care!”

During a campaign rally later in Durant, Okla., the president lauded the Texas attorney general again while acknowledging that others saw him as a more contentious candidate.

“We’re going to send Ken Paxton to the United States Senate because he is — whether you love him or don’t love him — he’s a little controversial, just slightly,” Trump said. “But whether you love him or not, he’s probably the best or certainly one of the best but the best” attorneys general in the country.

The Hill has reached out to Paxton’s campaign for comment.

Paxton is running against Democrat James Talarico for Sen. John Cornyn’s (R-Texas) seat in the upper chamber this fall. A polling average of the race compiled by Decision Desk HQ shows Talarico ahead of Paxton at 48 percent and 45 percent, respectively.

Paxton, who was present at the Peterbilt plant visit, made headlines earlier this week when leaked audio of the Texas GOP Senate candidate surfaced, where Paxton could be heard complaining that the Republicans’ midterm convention hurt his polling.

“So to be honest with you, the numbers — when we did that convention — it dropped our numbers. Everybody’s numbers dropped. Right now, yeah, not good,” Paxton said in the leaked audio clip, which was obtained and reported by The New York Times.

Paxton’s campaign slammed the reporting of the leaked audio, saying at the time, “this is more manipulated nonsense from The New York Times to create a story that doesn’t exist,” while suggesting Paxton’s numbers have only improved over the last month.

Yet, Trump’s remarks are notably candid about one of the president’s top allies.

Trump’s MAGA Inc. super PAC has already spent $20 million to support Paxton, as some national Republicans like Cornyn have refused to help the scandal-ridden candidate with fundraising.

Meanwhile, a super PAC linked to Senate Republican leadership is poised to spend at least $100 million to support Paxton. The nonpartisan election handicapper Cook Political Report rates the open Texas Senate seat a “toss-up.”