Trump Criticizes Cornyn, Supports Paxton in Texas Senate Race

President Donald Trump criticized Texas Senator John Cornyn, labeling him as “VERY disloyal” on social media. Trump threw his support behind Cornyn’s opponent, the state’s Attorney General Ken Paxton, in the Senate primary runoff election.

In a post on Truth Social on Sunday, Trump expressed his disapproval of Cornyn. He stated, “Ken’s opponent was VERY disloyal to me, as President, and didn’t fight hard enough for the desperately needed SAVE AMERICA ACT – VOTER I.D., PROOF OF CITIZENSHIP, NO MAIL-IN BALLOTS (with exceptions for Military, Illness, Disability, or Travel!)” He encouraged voters to back Paxton on Tuesday, emphasizing Paxton’s loyalty to him and his capability as Attorney General.

Contact attempts were made by Newsweek to the campaigns of Cornyn and Paxton for comments, though emails were sent outside regular business hours.

Trump’s endorsement of Paxton last week has boosted his chances of nomination, aligning with Trump’s efforts to support candidates who share his views. This strategy has seen success; recently, Representative Thomas Massie of Kentucky lost to Trump’s preferred candidate Ed Gallrein, while Louisiana Senator Bill Cassidy was defeated by Trump-endorsed candidates Julia Letlow and John Fleming.

Senator Cornyn, in a NewsNation interview, distanced himself from Massie and Cassidy’s situations. He described himself as a Trump ally and believed Trump’s endorsement of Paxton stemmed from frustration with the Senate’s dynamics. Cornyn emphasized that he has supported Trump’s agenda but voiced disagreements selectively.

Importance of the Race

The winner of the Texas runoff will proceed to the general election in November to face Democratic state Representative James Talarico. Talarico combines faith-based rhetoric with progressive politics, garnering widespread support statewide. Despite Trump’s double-digit win in Texas in 2024, Talarico remains a competitive candidate for a Senate seat, a position Democrats haven’t held in Texas since 1993.

Given the general election’s competitiveness, many establishment Republicans support Cornyn, seeing Paxton’s legal history as a potential liability. Paxton’s career has involved various controversies, including a 2015 felony securities fraud case resolved without a conviction, corruption allegations leading to a $6.6 million settlement, and a 2023 impeachment by Texas House Republicans. Paxton has denied all allegations against him.

Thune’s Support for Cornyn

Senate Majority Leader John Thune expressed his support for Cornyn following Trump’s endorsement of Paxton. He acknowledged the president’s choice to back Paxton and stated, “none of us control what the president does.” However, he reaffirmed his commitment to supporting Senator Cornyn.

Thune described Cornyn as “a principled conservative” and commended his effectiveness as a senator for Texas. Addressing concerns about the impact of Trump’s endorsement, Thune pointed out the Republicans have 24 seats to defend compared to the Democrats’ nine. He emphasized the importance of each state in retaining the Senate majority, while expressing confidence in the party’s current standings.