Establishment GOP senators are throwing temper tantrums about President Donald Trump backing Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton against incumbent Sen. John Cornyn in a primary Senate race for his seat in the Lone Star State. One such individual, Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) expressed her displeasure with the endorsement, saying, “I don’t understand. He is an ethically challenged individual.”
“John Cornyn is an outstanding senator and deserved in my judgment the president’s support. Obviously it’s the president’s call but I’m disappointed that he did it,” Collins added. Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), who is well-known for criticizing President Trump and voting with Democrats far more than she does with members of her own party, said she was “supremely disappointed” by the endorsement of Paxton.
When Murkowski was asked why Trump would choose Paxton, she replied, “I don’t understand it.” The Republican senator then stated that Trump’s endorsement would put the GOP at risk of losing Cornyn’s seat to Democratic nominee James Talarico, who considers himself a “moderate” despite supporting transgenderism and claiming the Bible supports many left-wing socialist views.
According to a report from Trending Politics News, Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD), who openly supported Cornyn, put out a very brief comment on the president’s endorsement of Paxton, which conservatives consider a jab at Trump, saying, “It’s his decision.” Before the president announced his endorsement, Republican leaders in the Senate tried to convince Trump to back Cornyn.
They cited concerns about the cost and divisiveness of a long, drawn-out primary and the potential challenges Paxton might face in the general election. Leadership spent a staggering $77 million during the primary race to push Cornyn over the line to become the nominee. Those same leaders have dropped hints that they will withhold funds from Paxton’s general election campaign to produce a loss out of spite.
Conservatives within the MAGA movement consider such tactics both childish and a betrayal of America First values, demanding to have individuals in Congress who will not only keep Democrats from taking control of the House and Senate, but will help support the president’s agenda, which they claim is what the vast majority of the American people want, especially the SAVE America Act, which would protect election integrity.
The current Senate race, which has captured the attention of the whole nation, occurs in a state where GOP candidates have long maintained dominance. The last time Democrats won a statewide election in Texas was 1994, a period of time that spans over three decades, despite their repeated efforts to contest offices at every level.
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In a lengthy Truth Social post, President Trump said, “I know Ken well, have seen him tested at the highest and most difficult levels, and he is a WINNER!” The president then added, “John Cornyn is a good man, and I worked well with him, but he was not supportive of me when times were tough.” The last comment was a reference to Cornyn’s hesitation to back him during his 2024 presidential campaign. In the spring of 2023, Cornyn said he believed Trump’s “time has passed him by,” though he did eventually endorse the president.