To win President Donald Trump’s endorsement amid a tough GOP Senate major, Texas Legal professional Basic Ken Paxton did what most of us could be too embarrassed to do: He stalked Trump.
CNN studies that Paxton made an unannounced go to to Trump’s golf resort in Turnberry, Scotland, final month, the place he simply occurred to stumble upon the president. It’s unclear if Trump was anticipating the pop-in, although they reportedly spoke concerning the major, the place Paxton is difficult incumbent John Cornyn from the fitting.
It’s not the one time Paxton has gone out of his strategy to win Trump over. Earlier this summer time, a pro-Paxton political motion committee aired its first TV advert in Palm Seashore, Florida—proper the place Trump may see it from Mar-a-Lago—and much from Texas.
It’s the sort of pandering and political theater Trump has come to count on. In right this moment’s GOP, making one other man the centerpiece of your model is seen as a strategic transfer, not an embarrassing one. Paxton flew 4,500 miles simply to kiss the ring.
Republican Sen. John Cornyn of Texas, proven in January.
However Paxton’s gotta do what he’s gotta do to win this messy major. And with Rep. Wesley Hunt eyeing a run, it may get much more risky. However regardless of his cross-continental pilgrimage, Paxton has nothing to indicate for it. Trump hasn’t endorsed anybody, and sources near the president say he’s holding again for now. He’s acquired time too: The first isn’t till March.
Cornyn and Paxton, longtime rivals, at the moment are in what’s turning into one of many marquee Republican showdowns of the 2026 midterm cycle. The 2 have by no means been allies. Cornyn has lengthy seen Paxton as a scandal magnet and authorized threat, whereas Paxton paints Cornyn as a swampy reasonable out of step with the MAGA base. The animosity runs deep, fueling an more and more sycophantic race to win Trump’s favor.
Paxton may need the higher hand with the GOP grassroots—no less than for now. Quite a few private and non-private polls present him main Cornyn within the major. However he additionally carries baggage. He’s in the course of a high-profile divorce after his spouse accused him of adultery, a saga that might flip voters off because it turns into extra public. He was additionally impeached by the Texas Home in 2023 on costs of abusing his workplace to profit a political donor—although he was later acquitted by the Senate.
Then there’s Paxton’s position in imposing Texas’s near-total abortion ban. In March, his workplace filed the state’s first felony costs beneath the legislation, arresting a Houston-area midwife and one in every of her staff. Whereas which will attraction to hard-line conservatives, it may alienate suburban voters who’ve trended away from the GOP in recent times.
Trump’s staff is watching the race intently, in accordance with CNN, because the final result may affect management of the Senate in 2026. With Republicans bracing for a potential lack of their Home majority—regardless of aggressive gerrymandering—their Senate majority takes on elevated significance. A flawed nominee like Paxton may give Democrats a shot in flipping the seat subsequent November.
“Winning is all that matters to the president,” an nameless Republican strategist near the White Home informed CNN. In addition they emphasised that loyalty isn’t the important thing to unlock Trump’s endorsement—it’s supposedly electability.
Republican Rep. Wesley Hunt of Texas, proven in 2023.
That’s why Cornyn should have an opportunity. He’s a seasoned fundraiser, aligned with Senate management, and has by no means misplaced a statewide race. Whereas Trump’s type could appear extra suitable with Paxton, a messy common election in a state slowly turning purple may make Cornyn the safer selection.
There’s additionally the wildcard of Hunt, who may cut up the pro-Trump vote. A Black Iraq Warfare veteran with ties to each MAGA activists and the GOP institution, Hunt may pressure Trump to choose sides before deliberate—or determine to not endorse in any respect. Hunt’s entry would solely escalate the scramble for Trump’s backing.
Nonetheless, Paxton leads most polls of the first, and if he wins, it’ll doubtless increase Democrats’ possibilities of flipping the seat. Former Rep. Colin Allred has introduced his marketing campaign, and there are whispers that state Rep. James Talarico may be a part of him within the major. Texas has lengthy been a white whale for Democrats—tantalizingly shut in some cycles however all the time simply out of attain. They imagine a broken GOP nominee like Paxton may tip the scales.
That’s precisely what nationwide Republicans need to keep away from. Senate Majority Chief John Thune and others have endorsed Cornyn, anxious that nominating Paxton may jeopardize the seat—and the Senate majority.
In the meantime, Trump is in no rush. As Texas Republicans journey over themselves to show who’s extra loyal, he’s sitting again and soaking it in—relishing the spectacle of grown males groveling for his approval.
