'Nothing in between': Impeached Ken Paxton remains a highly polarizing figure — even among Republicans

To Never Trump conservatives, far-right Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is everything a Republican shouldn't be. But despite the securities fraud charges filed in 2015 and an FBI investigation for abuse of office, Paxton won a third term in November 2022.

Paxton not only defeated GOP challengers in a contentious primary — he also defeated the Democratic nominee, civil rights attorney Rochelle Garza, in the general election. Since then, Paxton's foes in the GOP-led Texas State Legislature have tried to remove him from office.

Slate interviewed some Texans for a podcast posted on Tuesday, September 5, the day in which Paxton's impeachment trial starts. And those interviews show how polarizing a figure he is in the Lone Star State — even on the right.

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A Texan commented, "It's either people love Ken Paxton and think he is the embodiment of what a real conservative Republican should be, or people really dislike him and think that he is everything that's wrong with politics and with the Republican Party."

When asked, "So, there's nothing in between?" the Texan responded, "No, nothing in between."

Paxton has been on unpaid leave since being impeached in the Texas House of Representatives. The Texas attorney general's defenders — many of them Donald Trump loyalists and ultra- MAGA Republicans — have been attacking the Republicans who voted to impeach Paxton as RINOS: Republicans in Name Only.

READ MORE:Brand new allegations against Texas' embattled Ken Paxton raise the stakes

Listen to Slate's podcast at this link and read a transcript here.