Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton got a surprise escort off the Texas House floor Tuesday after several Republican House members invited Paxton for a photo op during the session’s final days, but the House Sergeant at Arms quickly intervened.
Breitbart reported that Paxton, invited by GOP colleagues, stepped onto the House floor for a quick photo, only to be told he lacked permission. The incident, unfolding during a busy legislative session, saw Paxton escorted to the Members’ Lounge for the snapshot instead.
It’s a classic case of bureaucracy flexing its muscles, even against a conservative stalwart. The Sergeant at Arms, acting on strict House rules, approached Paxton and asked him to leave the floor.
House protocol doesn’t grant automatic access to the Attorney General, nor to former House members like Paxton. Rules are rules, and in Austin, they’re enforced with a polite but firm hand.
Paxton later claimed he thought his prior legislative service gave him floor privileges. “I thought I was authorized to be on the Floor due to my prior service in the Legislature,” he said in a War Room interview. Nice try, but the rulebook begs to differ, and ignorance isn’t a hall pass.
Neither Paxton nor his Republican pals requested permission for his floor visit, a critical oversight.
House Administration Committee Chairman Charlie Geren, one of the gatekeepers of floor access, wasn’t having it. He directed Paxton to relocate to the Members’ Lounge, a VIP area more suited for the occasion.
Geren, alongside the Speaker of the House, holds sole authority to greenlight floor access. Paxton wasn’t booted from the chamber entirely, just shuffled off the floor to avoid disrupting the session. It’s a small but telling reminder that even conservative heroes must play by the House’s playbook.
Escorted to the Members’ Lounge, Paxton posed for the photo with his GOP allies as planned. The Lounge, a cushy spot for VIPs, ensured the moment was captured without further drama. One might wonder why the photo couldn’t have happened there in the first place.
Paxton didn’t take kindly to the kerfuffle, griping that Geren and the Speaker made a “big deal” out of it.
“They are the sole authorities to grant permission to be on the floor. They made a big deal out of it. They didn’t need to do that,” he said. Sounds like someone’s bruised ego took a bigger hit than his photo op.
Still, Paxton’s complaint misses the mark—rules exist to keep order, not to stroke egos. The House floor isn’t a free-for-all, even for a conservative firebrand like Paxton. His indignation might resonate with the base, but it doesn’t change the rulebook.
Geren, speaking to reporter Scott Braddock, clarified that Paxton was simply asked to move to the Lounge with the reps who invited him. No expulsion, no scandal—just a procedural nudge to follow protocol. Yet, in today’s polarized climate, even a minor incident like this can spark outrage.
Paxton’s supporters might see this as another example of establishment gatekeeping, targeting a MAGA-aligned figure. For Paxton, the episode is a minor embarrassment, nothing more.
He got his photo, and the session rolled on without a hitch. But it’s a reminder that even the most powerful must navigate the system’s guardrails.
Republican members who invited Paxton share some blame for the mix-up, neglecting to secure permission. Their oversight turned a friendly gesture into a public hiccup. Next time, a quick call to Geren might save everyone the headache.