The attorney general met late Tuesday with Trump and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick in the Oval Office, where the trio posed with a caricature of Democratic nominee James Talarico as the Republicans turned their attention to the fall campaign.
“It was an honor to be with President Trump and [Patrick] today as we work to defend Texas and save America,” Paxton posted on X along with two photos from his White House visit.
One traditionally posed picture showed Paxton standing next to Trump, seated at his desk.
A more candid shot included Trump, Paxton and Patrick in the Oval Office holding up side-by-side head shots of Talarico and MAD magazine’s fictional character Alfred E. Neuman.
Patrick posted on X one of the images, signed by Trump. The close-up made clear Talarico’s image has been manipulated so that he shares Neuman’s signature goofy gap in his front teeth.
“The President shared this piece of artwork with me today in the Oval Office,” Patrick said. Trump “knows how to paint a picture like no one else.”
Talarico, a state representative from Austin, will face Paxton in November. He has said Texans are more interested in the state’s future than another round of partisan attacks.
Paxton is in Washington meeting with Republican leaders and raising money for the general election campaign.
Talarico has seen a surge in fundraising in a campaign expected to feature big spending by both sides. Paxton, who was vastly outspent in the primary, is unlikely to get much help from Cornyn.
The senator said Monday he plans to focus on helping Republicans in other states with tight races, such as Maine and Alaska.
Cornyn suggested that after endorsing Paxton, it’s up to Trump and his political operation to find funding for Paxton’s campaign.
The four-term incumbent based much of his primary campaign on electability, saying Paxton was unfit for office and that his legal and ethical troubles put the seat at risk of flipping to Democrats.
Cornyn on Tuesday posted on X a link to a news story about Libertarian Senate candidate Ted Brown’s efforts to court Texas conservatives not sold on Paxton.
Cornyn added a Scooby-Doo quote.