United States (US) President Donald Trump has potentially shifted the entire electoral momentum within his party in Texas after endorsing Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in his primary challenge to incumbent Sen. John Cornyn.
The announcement surprised GOP leaders as Cornyn has spent more than a year courting Trump’s support and was considered a strong GOP candidate to defeat the Democratic nominee in November’s midterm elections.
In a lengthy post on his Truth Social platform, Trump endorsed Paxton, saying, “I know Ken well, have seen him tested at the highest and hardest levels, and he is a WINNER.”
The 47th POTUS also praised Cornyn for being a good man; however, he explained that the senator did not seem to support him in challenging times. Trump was apparently referring to Cornyn’s late endorsement in the 2024 presidential race.
Texas has been a Republican stronghold since 1994, but Democrats are now seeking to win statewide office for the first time in 30 years.
The president’s sudden endorsement of Paxton, who is not widely seen as a strong contender by Senate GOP leaders, gives Democrats a head start in their campaign.
The incumbent senator responded to the development, stating that Texans must now decide whether they want a strong candidate who can defeat Democratic nominee James Talarico in November or a weak candidate whose nomination could hurt the Senate’s Republican majority.
There is only one week left until the primary election, and early voting begins Monday.
The development comes amid President Trump playing an active role in the GOP primaries to get rid of his enemies in the party and get his allies elected to public office. In Kentucky’s 4th Congressional District, Trump has been pushing hard to get rid of Thomas Massie, a Republican who has represented the district for eight terms now.
