President Donald Trump will soon endorse U.S. Sen. John Cornyn over his rival, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, in the Republican Party’s hotly contested May 26 runoff, the Atlantic reports, citing presidential advisors.
Though Trump teased an endorsement in early February, he ultimately declined to wade into Texas’ Republican Senate primary.
Cornyn, who’s been critical of Trump’s policies in the past, has become more obsequious in a bid to win favor as his fight with Paxton heated up. Despite the four-term senator’s repeated groveling, Trump told him in the lead-up to Tuesday’s primary that he wasn’t ready to endorse.
“I said, ‘Mr. President, this race would be over if you decided to endorse,’” Conryn said in a January interview with the Houston Chronicle. “He said, ‘I know, I know.’ He’s obviously not ready to do that. And I think he wants to see how the race develops.”
However, those briefed on the details of the current situation told the Atlantic that Cornyn performed better than expected, leading Trump to reconsider.
Leading up to the primary, many polls and politicos favored Paxton to win because of his history of fiery rhetoric that appeals to the MAGA base. However, Paxton is also seen as vulnerable in the general election due to a litany of scandals, including his near-impeachment, a settled securities fraud case, his current divorce and an alleged affair with a married Christian influencer.
Like many things, Trump’s pending endorsement may come down to the bottom line.
Strategists warned Trump that Paxton would need more money than Cornyn to defeat State Rep. James Talarico, the Democratic nominee, according to the Atlantic. If Paxton ends up being the nominee, the costs of the race could go up by $80 million to more than $200 million, according to the publication.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune on Wednesday morning told Punchbowl News that an early Trump endorsement “saves everybody a lot of money.”
Shortly after, Trump posted on TruthSocial, saying, “I will be making my Endorsement soon, and will be asking the candidate that I don’t Endorse to immediately DROP OUT OF THE RACE!”
For his part, Paxton said he has no plans to drop out, even if the president decrees it shall be so.
“No, I’m staying in this race. I owe it to the people of Texas,” Paxton declared in a phone interview with Real America’s Voice. “I’ve spent a year of my life campaigning against John Cornyn, because John has not represented the people of Texas well.”
The latest turn appears to threaten the chummy relationship between the Paxton, a die-hard MAGA loyalist, and the president, who prizes his role as a kingmaker.
“My Endorsements within the Republican Party have been virtually insurmountable!” Trump’s Truth Social post added. “It is such an honor to realize and say that almost everyone I Endorse WINS, and wins by a lot, especially in Texas!”
Trump’s endorsement and Paxton’s refusal to bow out also have the potential to further splinter the Republican base as November approaches.
Meanwhile, Democrats are turning out in record numbers in Texas, potentially signaling the start of a blue wave and a referendum on the Trump era. Democratic challenger Talarico also has shown his broad appeal with progressives, independents and disillusioned Republicans alike.
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