President Donald Trump likes to say that no one understands the Make America Great Again movement like him, its founder and undisputed champion. But as he weighs which candidate to endorse in the U.S. Senate runoff in Texas, some of the state鈥檚 Republicans fear he may be out of step with what his base wants.
In interviews with The Associated Press, several said it would be a mistake for Trump to endorse four-term incumbent Sen. John Cornyn, a favorite of the Washington establishment, over conservative crusader Ken Paxton, the state attorney general.
鈥淪ome of his hardest and most ardent supporters will see this as a slap in the face,” said Tom Oliverson, a Houston-area lawmaker who leads the Republican caucus in the Texas House.
Steve Toth, a Republican state lawmaker from The Woodlands who recently defeated incumbent Rep. Dan Crenshaw, said “what the president doesn鈥檛 understand here in Texas is the amount of frustration that Texas voters have with John Cornyn.鈥�
Since Trump remains widely popular in the state, 鈥淚 don鈥檛 think it鈥檚 a mistake that鈥檚 going to hurt him,鈥� Toth said. 鈥淏ut do I think it鈥檚 a mistake for him to possibly endorse John Cornyn? Yes, I do.鈥�
Cornyn and Paxton are facing off in a May 26 runoff after neither won a majority in the to clinch the nomination outright. Trump said March 4 that , and subsequently hinted in that he was leaning toward Cornyn.
But no endorsement has been announced, leaving both candidates jockeying for the upper hand in a race that could become in the weeks to come.
Cornyn has his own supporters within the Texas Legislature.
鈥淚鈥檓 hoping that the president will look at all the facts and support an honorable senator who has represented Texas very well, as opposed to a crook and a liar,鈥� said Rep. Charlie Geren of Fort Worth.
Cornyn tried to further align himself with Trump on Wednesday by reversing his position on the Senate filibuster. The senator said he would support changing the rules to pass the SAVE America Act, which the president has described as his top priority. The legislation would require voters to prove their citizenship when registering.
鈥淚 support whatever changes to Senate rules that may prove necessary,鈥� Cornyn wrote in an op-ed in the New York Post, to get the bill 鈥渢hrough the Senate and on the president鈥檚 desk for his signature.鈥�
Paxton had already played for Trump’s favor on the issue, saying nearly a week ago that he would be willing to drop out of the race if the Senate passed the measure. Right now it’s stalled because there aren’t enough votes to overcome the filibuster, and Senate Majority Leader John Thune doesn’t want to change the rules.
Cornyn鈥檚 campaign began airing its first television advertisement of the runoff campaign, a bruising spot that uses a Christian theme that notes Paxton鈥檚 wife accused him of infidelity. A narrator鈥檚 booming voice intones, 鈥淭hou shalt not commit adultery,鈥� over images of churches and the Bible. The campaign is spending $330,000 for the opening round and is expected to expand it.
Cornyn was elected in 2002, at the height of Texan George W. Bush鈥檚 popularity as president. He has more recently been dismissive of Trump and his agenda, saying in 2023 that Trump鈥檚 鈥渢ime has passed.” Likewise, he had called Trump鈥檚 proposed U.S.-Mexico border wall 鈥渘aive鈥� early on, and helped pass gun-control legislation after the Uvalde school shooting in 2022.
Rep. Matt Shaheen of Plano said Cornyn has the conservative credentials, notably as a reliable opponent of abortion rights, but has broader appeal than Paxton.
鈥淛ohn Cornyn is the only person who can beat James Talarico,鈥� Shaheen said, referring to the Democratic nominee in the race. 鈥淎nd I believe the president understands that.鈥�
Texas Rep. Wesley Virdell, a leading gun-rights advocate in the state House from Brady, said he’s worried that Trump will back Cornyn.
鈥淚 have concern that he may be getting bad advice from certain officials,鈥� said Virdell. 鈥淚 hope he will take other conservative members鈥� opinions into consideration, because I think it鈥檚 going to look really bad for President Trump if he endorses him.”
Paxton, despite the nod to Trump鈥檚 legislative priority, has shown no signs of dropping from the race. He plans to speak at the Conservative Political Action Committee conference, a gathering of the nation鈥檚 leading conservative officials and personalities, this year in Dallas.
Rep. Shelley Luther of rural Grayson County said her constituents would be disappointed if Trump backed Cornyn.
鈥淭hey鈥檇 be like, 鈥楬e鈥檚 out of touch with what Texans want,'” she said.
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Beaumont reported from Des Moines, Iowa.
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