Trump Endorses Ken Paxton Over Cornyn in Texas Senate Race

SPECIAL EDITION

In a move that stunned even seasoned political observers, President Donald Trump this week turned his back on a longtime Senate ally and threw his full weight behind one of the most scandal-scarred figures in Texas politics. Trump’s endorsement of Attorney General Ken Paxton over four-term incumbent Senator John Cornyn in the Republican Senate primary runoff has sent shockwaves through the GOP — and the aftershocks are far from over.

A Public Snubbing

For over a year, Cornyn courted Trump relentlessly, campaigning on the fact that he had voted with the president more than 99% of the time.

Former President Donald Trump and Senator John Cornyn posing together with thumbs up in front of multiple American flags.

Just days before the endorsement dropped, Cornyn told reporters he believed Trump didn’t want to alienate voters by picking sides, adding almost cheerfully, “I think that ship has probably sailed.” It had not — it had simply turned around and run him over.

Trump’s Truth Social post was pointed, calling Cornyn “a good man” before delivering the knife: “He was not supportive of me when times were tough.” The slight referenced Cornyn’s hesitation to back Trump’s 2024 presidential bid; at one point the senator had openly said he thought Trump’s “time has passed him by.” In Trump World, loyalty is the currency, and Cornyn’s account had apparently run dry.

The Rank and File Aren’t Happy

Headline stating Republican Senators are upset about Trump's endorsement of Paxton.

Senate Republicans had spent months — and their allies tens of millions of dollars — lobbying the White House to back Cornyn, arguing he was the safer general election candidate. Senator Lindsey Graham warned bluntly that Trump’s Paxton endorsement could make the race “three times more expensive” for Republicans to hold. Senate Majority Leader John Thune and the broader GOP establishment pleaded with the White House behind closed doors, all to no avail. Even some Trump advisers privately urged the president to support Cornyn, warning that Paxton carried too much baggage to win in November.

C-SPAN

Vice President JD Vance on Trump’s endorsement:

C-SPAN

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott is staying out of the fray.

KVUE-TV

Texas Sen. Ted Cruz is also staying out of it.

Tweet from Manu Raju about Ted Cruz stating he won't endorse anyone in the Texas Senate race after Donald Trump endorsed Paxton. Includes a quote from Cruz: 'I'm staying out of this race.'

Paxton’s Very Long Rap Sheet

Paxton’s baggage is considerable.

Headline discussing the Texas GOP Senate runoff between an establishment candidate and a Trump-backed candidate.

In 2015, Paxton was indicted on felony securities fraud charges — a legal saga that dragged on for nearly a decade before he settled by paying roughly $300,000 in restitution and completing community service. In 2020, eight of his own senior staffers accused him of taking bribes from a real estate developer and abusing his office, triggering an FBI investigation. Four of those whistleblowers were fired and later awarded $6.6 million after suing for retaliation. The Texas House impeached Paxton in 2023 on 20 articles, though the state Senate ultimately acquitted him. More recently, his wife filed for divorce on what was described as “biblical grounds.” Trump’s own words acknowledged the storm: “Paxton has gone through a lot, in many cases, very unfairly.”

Why This Race Goes Beyond Texas

The stakes here extend well past the Lone Star State.

Texas hasn’t sent a Democrat to statewide office since 1994, but recent polling shows Democratic nominee James Talarico — a 37-year-old state representative with sharp fundraising instincts — leading both Cornyn and Paxton in a general election matchup. With over $125 million already spent, this has become the most expensive Senate primary in U.S. history. Republicans need to hold this seat to protect their Senate majority, and a wounded or polarizing nominee could hand Democrats an opening they haven’t had in a generation.

CNN

The Paxton endorsement is also a clear signal about who controls the Republican Party heading into the 2026 midterms. Trump is aggressively purging those he deems insufficiently loyal — Bill Cassidy in Louisiana fell last weekend, Thomas Massie in Kentucky was in his crosshairs, and defeated — and now Cornyn may be next. The message is unmistakable: in today’s GOP, ideological alignment matters far less than personal fealty to one man.