Trump endorses Ken Paxton over John Cornyn in tight Texas Republican Senate runoff
President Donald Trump endorsed Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton for Senate in a Tuesday afternoon Truth Social post, dealing a significant blow to Sen. John Cornyn, who is facing Paxton in a Republican primary runoff next week.
In his post, Trump called Paxton an “America First Patriot, and someone who has always been extremely loyal to me and our AMAZING MAGA MOVEMENT.”
Paxton and Cornyn are slated to face off in the runoff election after both candidates failed to win a majority of the vote in the March 3 primary. In that election, Cornyn narrowly edged Paxton, 42% to 41%.
Trump’s late endorsement
The president’s endorsement comes after weeks of speculation regarding whether Trump would weigh in on the race. He previously seemed poised to back Cornyn, but later shifted his stance, tying his endorsement to the SAVE America Act, which would require voters to present identification to cast ballots in federal elections.
That stance drew more headlines when Paxton announced he would consider dropping out of the race if Senate leadership agreed to do away with the filibuster so Republicans could pass the measure without Democratic votes.
Now, with his endorsement, Trump has again pulled in the SAVE Act, saying Paxton “is a Strong Supporter of TERMINATING THE FILIBUSTER and, very importantly, THE SAVE AMERICA ACT.”
Paxton thanked Trump for the support in a post on X, saying he was “incredibly honored” to have the president’s endorsement.
“No one has ever fought harder for the American people than President Trump,” Paxton wrote. “And I look forward to championing his America First agenda in the Senate!”
Why not back Cornyn?
In his endorsement post, Trump called Cornyn “a good man,” but said he was “not supportive of me when times were tough.”
“John was very late in backing me in what turned out to be a Historic Run for the Republican Nomination, and then, the Presidency, itself,” Trump wrote.
A unique race
In addition to how tight the race has been so far, it has gained significant attention for controversies surrounding Paxton.
He was impeached in 2023 on bribery and corruption charges, though the Texas Senate acquitted him.
Then, in 2025, Paxton’s wife announced she was divorcing him, citing adultery and “biblical grounds.”
Whoever wins the runoff primary will face Democrat James Talarico in the fall, a candidate who has also drawn significant attention after he sat down for an interview on “The Late Show,” which was then prevented from airing live.
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Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
