Sports

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton started chanting "U-S-A" on stage during a rally Wednesday night in a panicked attempt to drown out a person in the crowd trying to confront him over why he gave an Epstein-style sweetheart plea deal to an admitted child molester.

Paxton, President Donald Trump's scandal-plagued pick in the heated Texas Senate race, has been facing scrutiny in the fallout over a plea deal for Adam Dean Hoffman, a 49-year-old attorney accused of repeatedly sexually abusing a young boy for years, according to The Texas Tribune. Hoffman surrendered his law license, and in the deal, he was let out of jail in just days without having to register as a sex offender.

At the event at White Oak Music Hall in north Houston, he faced public questions over the decision.

"Why did you let Adam Hoffman free?" A person in the crowd yelled out at Paxton.

Paxton tried to sway the crowd and divert them to chanting instead.

"I'm going to do a little something different tonight. It's kind of risky," Paxton said, breaking into the patriotic chant.

Just before taking the stage at the event, Paxton had an aide step in between himself and a citizen asking him a critical question: "How come on a government salary you own over 15 houses?" Journalist Aaron Rupar shared video from the encounter.

Social media users called Paxton out over Hoffman and the plea deal.

"In a brutal moment, Ken Paxton’s rally was just interrupted by an attendee mad about Paxton’s Epstein-style deal for a child predator. What a disaster for MAGA," wrote X account Democratic Wins Media, which tracks campaigns and candidates.

"Notice how Paxton had to start the USA chant. His 'supporters' didn’t. Very 'please clap' vibes," wrote X user Mike in Houston, who self-describes as a 35-year veteran of the energy industry.

"If you have to drown out people asking why you released a child rapist by chanting USA, you're the f----- devil," Will Kelly, software recruiter and progressive political commentator, wrote on X.