President Trump threw his weight behind Ken Paxton in the Texas Senate race on Tuesday, rejecting veteran Senator John Cornyn in a move that has alarmed Republican leadership just days before the primary runoff.
The endorsement comes as Trump seeks to consolidate control over the GOP ahead of midterm elections. Paxton, the state's attorney general, has been a steadfast Trump loyalist, while Cornyn occupied the awkward position of needing Trump's backing to win his party's nomination while harboring doubts about Trump's political viability.
"Ken Paxton has my Complete and Total Endorsement to be the next United States Senator from the Great State of Texas," Trump wrote on Truth Social, specifically praising his "loyalty."
Trump had initially drafted a statement backing Cornyn after the March primary, where Cornyn narrowly led with 42 percent of the vote to Paxton's 40.5 percent. But the president ultimately sided with his more devoted ally, citing Cornyn's past skepticism about his 2024 candidacy and his reluctance to challenge the Senate filibuster.
The decision has triggered genuine alarm within Republican circles. Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska said she was "supremely disappointed," warning that the endorsement "puts that seat in jeopardy." National Republican leaders have privately and publicly cautioned Trump that nominating Paxton could flip Texas blue, given his legal and personal scandals.
Paxton faces a troubling political record: he was indicted on felony charges in 2015, impeached by the Texas House in 2023, and has faced accusations of marital infidelity. These vulnerabilities loom large against his Democratic opponent, James Talarico, a state legislator and seminarian who has emerged as one of the party's top fundraisers.
Cornyn fought aggressively to win Trump's favor in recent weeks. The senator even introduced legislation to rename an interstate in Trump's honor and hired top Trump operatives to his campaign. None of it mattered. Cornyn released a measured statement after the endorsement, noting he had voted with Trump 99 percent of the time, but the damage was done.
Paxton himself had executed a calculated power move weeks earlier. He suggested he might drop out of the race, but only if Senate Republicans eliminated the filibuster to pass Trump's voter identification bill. He even texted Trump the statement directly. When Cornyn eventually capitulated on the filibuster issue under pressure, Paxton's strategic positioning had already shifted the dynamics of Trump's thinking.
Paxton has consistently demonstrated unwavering allegiance to Trump. He filed a lawsuit attempting to overturn the 2020 election results in swing states, exactly the kind of loyalty Trump rewards. Cornyn, by contrast, was skeptical of those efforts and harbored reservations about Trump's comeback.
Trump appeared visibly confident in his political muscle on Tuesday, claiming that whoever he endorses historically wins. "I just don't like to say it because I don't like to brag," he said while touring a White House construction site.
The endorsement puts real stress on relationships Trump will need to govern. Retiring Senator Thom Tillis recently blocked one of Trump's Federal Reserve nominations. With Trump now antagonizing key Republicans in Congress, the next seven months could prove turbulent for his legislative agenda.
Democrats are watching the chaos with interest. The party would need to flip four Republican Senate seats to claim a majority, and while Texas has not historically been a target, Trump's sagging poll numbers have made the state competitive. Talarico's campaign is zeroing in on independent voters and warning about billionaire influence in politics, while Trump has dismissed the Democrat as strange based on decades-old comments.
Republicans currently hold 53 Senate seats. The runoff is scheduled for May 26.
Author Sarah Mitchell: "Trump just bet the farm on loyalty over electability, and his own party is quietly panicking about the consequences."
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