(AP Photo/Luis M. Alvarez)

President Donald Trump told NBC News on Saturday he is holding off on endorsing a Republican candidate for Senate in Texas for the time being. One big reason? He wants to see if Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) and other Republicans can get the SAVE America Act passed.

“A lot has to do with the SAVE America Act. A lot is going to determine — Republicans have to get that passed, because that will secure voting in this country,” Trump said. 

The president has been pushing hard for the legislation — which would require identification to vote in federal elections — in recent weeks. If Cornyn can help get it through the Senate, that could be enough to win Trump’s backing against Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who will be facing the incumbent in a May 26 runoff.

“I’ll let you know that over the next week or so,” Trump said when asked if he would endorse Cornyn. “I like him. I always liked him.”

The senator appears to be working hard to get Trump’s support, with Cornyn last week announcing he had changed his mind on the Senate filibuster rule.

He said he has felt for years the rule, which requires 60 votes to end debates on legislation, was important — but not as important as the SAVE Act, which he cosponsored. Cornyn said Democrats are now “weaponizing” the filibuster to block legislation most Americans want.

“When the reality on the ground changes, leaders must take stock and adapt,” Cornyn wrote in a New York Post op-ed. 

His op-ed was published on the Wednesday — the same morning Trump prodded Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) to get the SAVE Act passed, after Thune has complained he does not have enough votes to make it happen.

CNN data guru Harry Enten recently reported most Americans support voter ID laws. Enten highlighted a Pew poll that found 71% of Dems and 95% of Republicans support the legislation.

“Normally, you might expect hey, there’d be a big divide by party, with Republicans really for it and Democrats really against it,” Enten said. “But not really here.”

Paxton is vying for Cornyn’s Senate seat, while Sen. Ted Cruz is not up for reelection until 2030.

Trump told NBC News that Cornyn being in favor of nixing the filibuster was something he appreciated “very much.” But it was not enough to get his endorsement, for now at least.

The post Trump Withholds Endorsement in Tight Texas Senate Race — Says the SAVE Act Is the X Factor first appeared on Mediaite.