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By Khaleda Rahman
National Correspondent
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Just a week from Election Day, President Donald Trump returned to Texas for the third time in a month to back his candidate, state Attorney General Ken Paxton, in a closely watched Senate race.
But once again, he couldn't resist taking a jab at Paxton's appearance. During a rally in Lubbock, Trump said his description of Senator Jon Husted's physique had improved Husted's standing in the Senate race in Ohio.
"Maybe I should do that with Ken Paxton, but I'm not sure your body is gonna qualify," Trump said. "I'm gonna do it with Ken!"
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Trump, who has long been fixated on physical appearance, has repeatedly praised Husted's build and looks during campaign rallies. His remarks about Paxton, however, have been far from complimentary.
The president has continued to publicly insult Paxton's looks and dress sense even as Paxton remains locked in a tight race against Democrat James Talarico.
The contest has become the state's closest U.S. Senate race in a generation. If Talarico triumphs, he will be the first Democrat elected to a U.S. Senate seat in reliably red Texas since 1988. With both parties vying for control of the Senate, Texas has emerged as a critical battleground.
Most polls show Talarico leading Paxton by 2 to 5 points, and Democrats are more confident about winning Texas than they have been since former Representative Beto O'Rourke came within 2.6 points of unseating Senator Ted Cruz in 2018.
Paxton has largely shrugged off the president's insults. After Trump mocked his dress sense, he defended his clothing choices by saying Texas is "a relatively casual place in the summer."
Newsweek has contacted the Paxton campaign for comment via email.
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Here, Newsweek looks at four other insults Trump has directed at Paxton's looks during the campaign.
‘You Might Not Love His Look’
Trump repeatedly disparaged Paxton's appearance during an event in the White House Rose Garden on September 2.
"We're going to go to Texas and work for Ken Paxton, who's a great guy," Trump said during the gathering of Republican lawmakers.
He added: "So Ken Paxton, you might not like the way he dresses. And I say this, it's so insulting to him, but I might as well say it.
"You might not like the way he looks, you might not love his look, you might not love his television interviews, but he was the best attorney general in the country, perhaps."
His Suit ‘Doesn’t Look So Great’
During his remarks at that event, Trump also criticized Paxton's dress sense.
After praising Paxton's record as Texas attorney general, Trump said it "speaks a lot louder than the suit he's wearing that doesn't look so great."
Paxton responded to those remarks in an interview on Fox News the following day, defending his wardrobe choices by citing Texas' summer weather.
"I've got this sports jacket on. I love it. Texas is a relatively casual place in the summer, and it's hot," he said. "We adjust, we wear cowboy boots, and we wear a blazer, and we're all good."
‘Not the Best-Looking Guy’
Trump continued his insults of Paxton's looks while making a case for the attorney general during his keynote speech at the Republican midterm convention in Dallas on September 9.
Trump said his advisers had specifically urged him not to make the remarks because they would provide an embarrassing sound bite.
"They said, 'Sir, you can't say that!'" Trump said before proceeding with the criticism.
"Let me tell you, it's true, he may not dress right, he may not talk exactly perfectly, and he may not be the best-looking guy I've ever seen," he said. "But you know what he is? He's the greatest attorney general in America, and he deserves to be your next senator. I'm sorry, Ken."
‘I Don’t Really Like the Way He Looks’
Trump repeated his displeasure with the way Paxton looks, talks and dresses on the second night of the midterm convention, with Paxton in the audience.
"You've got to elect Ken Paxton. You've got to do it," Trump said before mentioning his prior comments about him.
"I said, 'I don't like the way Ken dresses,' although I also said he looked really sharp in that suit yesterday," Trump said, adding: "Then I said, 'I don't really like the way Ken talks.' And then I said something that they really hated. 'Please, sir, don't say it, sir.' So I'm not going to say it, but I'll tell you what I was thinking about saying. I said: 'I don't really like the way he looks. I don't like it."
"But you know what I do like? He was the greatest attorney general in the history of Texas. He was the greatest attorney general in the history of our country."
Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Tobias Meyjes and Shakeema Edwards.
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