Senate Republicans angry and alarmed over Trump's Paxton endorsement [View all]
Source: Politico
05/19/2026 06:29 PM EDT
President Donald Trump’s last-minute endorsement of Ken Paxton in the Texas Senate primary set off panic among Republicans who worry that keeping the seat will now be a more expensive and potentially futile endeavor.
By endorsing Paxton over Sen. John Cornyn, Trump rejected the pleas of GOP leaders in Congress who for months had pushed Trump to back a proven winner in the Lone Star State. Now with Trump in his corner, Paxton is well situated to win the primary runoff next week and face Democratic nominee James Talarico in the general election — a matchup Democrats have dreamed of for months.
Trump’s long-awaited announcement was met with shock and dismay among Republicans on Capitol Hill. Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) said she was “supremely disappointed” by Trump’s decision, which she said “puts that seat in jeopardy.” “How does that help strengthen the president’s hand? I mean, we lose a state like Texas?” she asked rhetorically.
Paxton has dealt with a litany of personal and political problems, including a federal securities fraud investigation and ongoing divorce. He is “an ethically challenged individual,” said Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), adding that Cornyn “deserved the president’s support.”. Senate Majority Leader John Thune, who spent months lobbying the president to back Cornyn, was tight-lipped in the moments after Trump named his pick: “It’s his decision.” He later vowed to “continue to be supportive of Senator Cornyn and his reelection.”
Read more: https://www.politico.com/news/2026/05/19/with-trump-behind-paxton-republicans-fret-about-texas-senate-seat-00928897
Paxton has 9 lives and managed to get through 2 impeachment attempts.
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