If Ken Paxton, who defeated four-term Sen. John Cornyn to win the Republican nomination after President Trump’s endorsement, loses to James Talarico, Trump will blame Cornyn. In a Truth Social post Thursday, the president blasted Cornyn and another Republican, Karl Rove, for failing to support Paxton in the unexpectedly close race, saying they “should be ashamed of themselves,” Politico reports.
“They are hurting Texas and, more importantly, hurting the United States of America!” Trump wrote. “If Ken Paxton loses, it will be because of WEAK and INEFFECTIVE Political Hacks like John Cornyn and Karl Rove, who have ineffectively opposed me for my entire political career.” “Your favorite President (ME!) is asking all of those who supported Senator John Cornyn to UNITE, and immediately switch your support to Ken Paxton,” Trump wrote. “He will be a Great Senator, just like he is a Great Attorney General.”
Recent polls show Talarico holding a slim lead, helped by record-breaking fundraising—$64 million in the last quarter, $134 million total. Cornyn has not endorsed Paxton. Rove recently said the race would be “over” if Cornyn was the nominee and noted that Paxton has a lot of baggage from his 2023 impeachment trial, the Texas Tribune reports. “You got a guy who’s got multiple girlfriends, $200,000 worth of improvements in his house from a corrupt business guy for whom he does favors … and now it’s in the court of public opinion,” Rove said. “If this were not out there, this would be a normal Republican versus Democrat.”
Paxton and allied groups are pouring hundreds of millions into the race, with Elon Musk donating more than $150 million last month. The staggering cost has some Republicans worried the Texas battle is draining resources from other key races as Trump’s approval rating falls, Politico reports. Asked on Newsmax Thursday if he regretted endorsing Paxton, Trump said, “No, because I think Cornyn would have lost,” the Hill reports. “Here’s the way I look at it: Ken Paxton, some people don’t love him, but everybody admits he was the best attorney general in the history of Texas, one of the best in the country,” Trump said.