President Donald Trump is weighing whether to intervene in one of the most consequential Republican primaries of his second administration, as Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton challenges entrenched incumbent Sen.
John Cornyn in a high-stakes runoff that has become a proxy war between the MAGA movement and the partys establishment wing.
According to the Gateway Pundit, the debate over a potential endorsement intensified after Paxton received an enthusiastic reception at CPAC in Dallas, underscoring his status as the clear favorite of the conservative grassroots. Cornyn, long aligned with the Washington leadership class and widely viewed by the base as a RINO, is seen as relying heavily on a Trump nod simply to remain competitive in the May 26 Republican Senate runoff.
Both Paxton and Cornyn emerged from the March 3 primary with roughly 40 percent of the vote, forcing the head-to-head contest that now looms over Texas and Washington alike. Rep. Wesley Hunt, a rising conservative figure, captured 13.5 percent, highlighting how fractured support for Cornyn has become among GOP voters.
In total, more than half of Republican primary voters cast their ballots against Cornyn, a striking repudiation of an incumbent who has long benefited from establishment backing. That result has fueled speculation that the partys base is increasingly unwilling to tolerate senators who accommodate the left or undercut President Trumps America First agenda.
Compounding Cornyns troubles, the National Republican Senatorial Committee appears to be stepping back, reportedly declining to provide him with robust financial support as Trump deliberates. Per Politico, MAGA world is taking a victory lap and fresh comfort in the receipts: A lack of significant spending and polling so far by not only Cornyns campaign, but also the NRSC and One Nation, the Senate Leadership Fund-aligned nonprofit.
It amounts to a pattern the MAGA cohort reads as Washington making peace with a matchup between Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, their anointed candidate, and Texas Democratic state Rep. James Talarico, Politico added, signaling that even the D.C. class may be reconciling itself to a more populist Republican nominee. For many conservatives, that shift suggests the donor class recognizes the futility of propping up a senator whose brand no longer resonates with the partys voters.
Trump, however, is in no rush to tip the scales, and some insiders suggest he may withhold an endorsement altogether. Now, Trump may not give an endorsement at all. Or if he does, he may endorse Paxton after the SAVE Act debate in the Senate is over, three sources tell POLITICO.
Nothing is dead, said a source familiar with the presidents thinking. Its all just stasis at the moment. Another White House official echoed the uncertainty, saying, Its looking like he may not endorse at all, and adding, But it doesnt seem like he has made up his mind.
The SAVE Act fight has clearly complicated the calculus, with five Republicans in and around the White House describing the Texas endorsement question as vexing for Trump. The president, who will not attend this years CPAC, is being patient and trying to exact a policy win, another person said, underscoring his focus on securing concrete legislative victories rather than merely symbolic political gestures.
Still, Paxtons proximity to Trump is evident, with Politico noting that the attorney general met with the president last Friday to discuss the runoff. It was a positive meeting, one source told Politico, a characterization that will only bolster confidence among MAGA voters already inclined to back Paxton.
Reinforcing that sentiment, the Washington Post reported that Trump remarked over the weekend that the MAGA base is with Paxton, according to a source familiar with his comments. That acknowledgment reflects the reality on the ground in Texas, where grassroots conservatives have long viewed Paxton as a staunch defender of election integrity, border security, and state sovereignty.
Trump had previously indicated he would issue an endorsement in the race and even press one of the candidates to withdraw, a move that could have cleared the field. Paxton, however, made clear he would not bow out under any circumstances, insisting that Cornyn has not represented the people of Texas well.
Im staying in this race. I owe it to the people of Texas, Paxton said, framing his campaign as a duty to voters rather than to party elites. As Trump weighs his options and the SAVE Act debate unfolds, conservatives across the country will be watching whether the president chooses to formally align himself with the grassroots favorite or simply let Texas Republicans finish what they started by rejecting business-as-usual politics in Washington.
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