President Trump upended the Texas Senate race on Tuesday, throwing his endorsement behind Attorney General Ken Paxton and against incumbent Sen. John Cornyn, a four-term Republican who had spent months courting the president’s favor with the runoff just one week away.
The decision, announced May 19, 2026, in a social media post, landed like a thunderclap on Capitol Hill, where Senate Republicans had been quietly lobbying Trump to back their longtime colleague. Instead, the president sided with Paxton, a conservative firebrand popular with the MAGA base despite a long trail of scandals.
“Ken is a true MAGA Warrior who has ALWAYS delivered for Texas, and will continue to do so in the United States Senate,” Trump wrote, calling Paxton a “Fighter” who “knows how to WIN.” The president acknowledged Paxton’s checkered history, writing that the attorney general had “gone through a lot, in many cases, very unfairly.”
Cornyn, by contrast, drew a stinging assessment. Trump called him a “good man” but said he “was not supportive of me when times were tough.”
A Long Courtship Ends in Rejection
For Cornyn, who is seeking a fourth term after more than two decades in the Senate, the snub stings on multiple levels. He had spent months openly lobbying for the endorsement, even floating the idea of naming a major Texas highway the “Trump Interstate.” Many of his Senate colleagues had quietly made his case to the White House.
None of it moved the needle. Trump teased the announcement at one of his properties, timing the reveal as early voting had already opened for the May 26 runoff. The Senate is currently weighing whether to provide hundreds of millions in security funding for Trump’s real estate projects.
The president made clear he believes his endorsement power remains unmatched, telling reporters that historically, whoever he endorses wins, though he added with feigned modesty that he doesn’t like to brag about it.
Cornyn declined to engage directly with the president’s criticism. In a post on X, he reiterated his commitment to the race and emphasized his “trust” in Texas Republican voters. He noted that he has worked closely with President Trump through both of his presidential terms and voted with him more than 99% of the time, adding that Trump has consistently called him a friend in this race.
Senate Republicans Visibly Rattled
The frustration inside the Senate GOP conference was hard to disguise. Sen. Mike Rounds of South Dakota said Cornyn “was very well-respected” and that “there are a lot of folks in our conference who are disappointed.”
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, looking crestfallen during his weekly news conference, pledged to keep supporting Cornyn. He called Cornyn a principled conservative and very effective senator, adding that none of the Senate leadership controls what the president does and that Trump’s decision doesn’t change how he feels about his colleague.
Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, warned that Trump’s choice “puts that seat in jeopardy.” Even Sen. Lindsey Graham, one of the president’s closest allies, expressed concern, telling reporters that while he believes Paxton can still win, the campaign will be “three times more expensive.”
Democrats See an Opening in Texas
Across the aisle, Democrats wasted no time celebrating. Paxton has long been viewed as their preferred opponent, a wounded nominee whose legal troubles could open the door in a state that has bedeviled the party for decades. Polling suggests the Democratic nominee, state Rep. James Talarico, could have a real shot at flipping what has been the party’s electoral white whale.
“Texas is a huge mess for Republicans,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said. “I believe that we’re in much better shape taking back Texas than we were a few days ago.”
Talarico, a rising Democratic star who defeated progressive firebrand and vocal Trump critic Rep. Jasmine Crockett in the March 3 primary, is attempting to become the first Democrat to win a Senate election in Texas in nearly four decades. In a statement, he framed the Republican runoff as irrelevant to his broader message, arguing that both Cornyn and Paxton have embodied a broken politics that enriches wealthy donors while costs skyrocket for working families. He positioned his campaign as a movement to take back Texas for working people that rises above party politics, focused on what he called the real divide between top and bottom rather than left and right.
One Week Until Election Day
Paxton and Cornyn topped a crowded field in the March 3 primary, but with neither clearing the 50% threshold, the contest spilled into overtime. Paxton, who said he was “incredibly honored” by the endorsement, promised to advance Trump’s “America First” agenda if elected.
Whether Trump’s late intervention proves decisive — or whether it hands Democrats their best shot at Texas in a generation — will become clearer when voters render their verdict on May 26.
Sources:
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-backs-paxton-texas-republican-senate-showdown-cornyn#&_intcmp=fnhpsb_elections_1
https://abcnews.com/Politics/trump-endorses-ken-paxton-gop-incumbent-john-cornyn/story?id=133117277
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2026/05/19/senate-republicans-trump-john-cornyn-ken-paxton-texas-runoff/90166079007/