Texas AG Ken Paxton Says He'll Launch 'Undercover Operations To Infiltrate And Uproot Terrorist Cells'

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said on Tuesday that he is spearheading the launch of "undercover operations to infiltrate and uproot leftist terror cells" in the state.

Paxton, who is running to be a U.S. senator for the state, said in a social media publication that "leftist political terrorism is a clear and present danger" and that "there can be no compromise with those who want us dead."

Paxton added in a statement that the murder of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk played a key role in the decision. "The martyrdom of Charlie Kirk marks a turning point in America," Paxton claimed. "To those demented souls who seek to kill, steal, and destroy our country, know this: you cannot hide, you cannot escape, and justice is coming."

The document adds that "in July, nearly two dozen armed leftists connected to various Texas-based Antifa-like groups ambushed an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Alvarado," and that two weeks after Kirk's murder "another deranged leftist opened fire at an ICE facility in Dallas."

The announcement comes as Paxton continues his campaign to become a U.S. senator for the state. Even though he began ahead in the polls by a wide margin against the incumbent, Sen. John Cornyin, an August poll from Emerson College showed Cornyn ahead by 1 percentage point.

Concretely, the survey saw Cornyn getting 30% of the vote compared to Paxton's 29%, well within the margin of error (4.4%). 37% of the 500 respondents said they are still undecided. If neither candidate wins 50% plus one vote in the primary, which will take place in March, there will be a runoff in May.

A recent report noted that allies of Cornyn are sounding the alarm about the possibility that Paxton wins, claiming that he could poison smaller races in the state and pose a major threat to the GOP's already slim majority in the House.

A Republican super-PAC aligned with Cornyn recently commissioned a memo arguing that Paxton's potential presence on the ballot would significantly hurt other Republican candidates further down the ticket.

"Our findings suggest that if Attorney General Ken Paxton is the Republican standard-bearer, his presence at the top of the ticket could significantly weaken Republican performance in down-ballot and congressional races," the memo says, according to Axios.

Cornyn's super PAC is not the only one voicing this assessment. The Senate Leadership Fund, which is aligned with Senate Majority Leader John Thune, is also warning that Paxton could be detrimental to the GOP's success at the ballot box.

"No one appreciates Ken Paxton more than Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries," Senate Leadership Fund Executive Director Alex Latcham told the outlet.