<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC), the chairman of Senate Republicans’ campaign arm, stated that Ken Paxton was “just wrong” to suggest that President Donald Trump’s visit to Texas in September negatively affected his candidacy.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">“The truth of the matter is, President Trump and the midterm convention was a boost in the right direction,” Scott told reporters during a press call on Wednesday, discussing the electoral landscape one month before Election Day.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Scott noted that Republican enthusiasm has increased significantly since the midterm convention, leading to a record number of toss-up races across the country.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">His comments followed leaked audio of Paxton, the GOP Senate nominee in Texas, who claimed that his internal polling declined after the convention, which was held in Dallas and featured Trump prominently.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">“To be honest with you, when we did that midterm convention, it dropped our numbers,” Paxton said, according to the New York Times. “Everybody’s numbers dropped. Yeah. Not good.”</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">The Paxton campaign dismissed the report as “manipulated nonsense” and expressed optimism about closing the campaign strong alongside Trump, who is scheduled to visit Texas again this week.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Scott, who leads the National Republican Senatorial Committee, emphasized Trump’s influence on Republican enthusiasm, stating that it would help the GOP maintain its Senate majority in the upcoming elections.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">“These are his midterms, and because of that, the enthusiasm that we wanted to see, Republicans are coming home, and that is reason to be excited,” Scott said.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">However, this perspective contrasts with polling indicating that Trump’s approval ratings are at second-term lows, alongside a Senate map that has become increasingly competitive.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Scott acknowledged the challenges facing Republicans, noting close races in traditionally Republican states like Kansas and Nebraska.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Despite these challenges, Scott expressed confidence in the electoral outlook, stating he felt “very good” about retaining the Senate and potentially expanding the majority to 54 seats.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">“We are looking at a record number of toss-up races in the country, but the good news from our perspective: They’re all within striking distance,” he said.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Scott attributed this optimism to strong Republican fundraising efforts and Trump’s recent decision to utilize his $400 million campaign fund. He mentioned a meeting with Susie Wiles, Trump’s chief of staff, who assured him that funding would not be an issue.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">“The good news is that this will be the best funded midterm for Republicans, I think, in the history of our party,” Scott said.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">In Texas, national Republicans have invested over $100 million to support Paxton against Democratic challenger James Talarico. The race is currently polling within the margin of error, with Paxton slightly trailing, though Scott predicted that “Texas will be red — ruby red — at the end of this campaign.”</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Elsewhere, Republicans are defending seats in states including Alaska, Iowa, Maine, North Carolina, and Ohio, while also identifying Georgia, New Hampshire, Michigan, and Minnesota as potential pickup opportunities.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Scott indicated that he would focus his campaign travel on toss-up states and expressed interest in flying with Trump to Alaska.</p>