Fox News host Jesse Watters took a swing at Republican Texas Senate candidate Ken Paxton on Thursday, pointing to his “whiff of corruption” and saying there is “just something off-putting about him.”
The comments came during Thursday’s edition of “The Five,” where the hosts first turned their attention to Texas Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico and his recent appearance at a CNN and Jubilee town hall. Paxton had been invited to the event but never responded.
The panel hammered Talarico over what they described as flip-flops on a number of issues. They also took him to task for his nine-day absence from the campaign trail while he was battling the flu.
But Fox News’ Dana Perino was the first to note that Republicans have their own problems in the race.
“On the Republican side of things, they don’t have a great candidate. Even President [Donald] Trump says that,” Perino said.
Co-host Emily Compagno kept the focus on the Democrat.
“Anyway you slice it, [Talarico] appears either weak or horrifying,” Compagno said.
Watters agreed but quickly turned to Paxton.
“Right,” Watters said. “But he’s running against Paxton, and Paxton has a lazy eye and this whiff of corruption around him.”
The Fox News host acknowledged Paxton’s record as the state’s top lawyer while still voicing his concerns.
“Even though he was, like, the best attorney general in the country for the last eight years, there’s just something off-putting about him,” Watters said.
Paxton has been dogged by a long list of scandals.
A recent Wall Street Journal report showed him celebrating New Year’s in Dubai alongside two men who are facing federal criminal charges. His wife has filed for divorce on grounds of adultery. He has also faced allegations of voter fraud, and his office struck a plea deal with a convicted child sex predator.
Watters went on to share what he had heard from a source.
“I just talked to a guy in Oklahoma,” Watters said, adding that the man told him, “I’m hearing from a lot of people in Texas that they’re definitely not voting for ‘Freak-o,’ but they’re still having trouble bringing themselves to vote for Paxton.”
Even so, Watters made clear he does not believe Talarico is a strong fit for the Lone Star State, stressing that the Democrat “just can’t cut it in Texas.”
The Fox News host closed with a warning for his party.
“Thank God we have more money than they do, or else this could be curtains for Republicans,” Watters said.
The exchange on “The Five” highlighted the unusual dynamics of the Texas Senate race. While the hosts took aim at Talarico over his town hall appearance, his shifting positions and his time away from the campaign, they also acknowledged that the Republican nominee carries significant baggage of his own.
With Perino noting that even Trump has said Republicans lack a great candidate, and Watters admitting Paxton has a “whiff of corruption,” the panel painted a picture of a race in which some Texas voters may be struggling with both options.
