Should Trump endorse Cornyn? Some Texas Republicans say it would be a MAGA ‘mistake’

Former President Donald Trump faces a challenging political calculation in Texas as he considers endorsing a candidate in the state’s heated Republican Senate runoff, with many of his core supporters warning that backing incumbent Sen. John Cornyn could alienate his base.

The May 26 runoff between Cornyn and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has emerged as a test of Trump’s political instincts in a state where he remains enormously popular. Neither candidate secured a majority in the March 3 primary, setting up a high-stakes showdown that could become increasingly contentious and expensive.

“Some of his hardest and most ardent supporters will see this as a slap in the face,” said Tom Oliverson, who leads the Republican caucus in the Texas House, referring to a potential Trump endorsement of Cornyn. The four-term senator is widely viewed as part of the Washington establishment that Trump’s movement has long opposed.

State Representative Steve Toth, who recently defeated incumbent Rep. Dan Crenshaw, echoed this sentiment: “What the president doesn’t understand here in Texas is the amount of frustration that Texas voters have with John Cornyn.”

Trump indicated on March 4 that he would endorse one of the candidates and subsequently hinted in a Politico interview that he was leaning toward Cornyn. However, no official announcement has been made, leaving both candidates maneuvering for advantage.

The race represents a clear ideological divide within the Texas Republican Party. Cornyn, first elected in 2002 during fellow Texan George W. Bush’s presidency, has historically maintained a more traditional conservative stance. He has previously distanced himself from Trump, stating in 2023 that Trump’s “time has passed,” and once dismissed the former president’s proposed border wall as “naive.” Cornyn also helped pass gun control legislation following the 2022 Uvalde school shooting.

Paxton, meanwhile, has cultivated an image as a hard-right conservative and staunch Trump ally. His tenure as attorney general has been marked by legal controversies, including ongoing securities fraud charges and a 2023 impeachment by the Texas House, though he was acquitted in the Senate.

In an apparent attempt to secure Trump’s favor, Cornyn recently reversed his position on the Senate filibuster, saying he would support rule changes to pass the SAVE America Act, which Trump has described as his top priority. The legislation would require proof of citizenship for voter registration.

“I support whatever changes to Senate rules that may prove necessary,” Cornyn wrote in a New York Post op-ed, to get the bill “through the Senate and on the president’s desk for his signature.”

Paxton had earlier played the same card, stating he would consider dropping out of the race if the Senate passed the measure, which is currently stalled due to the filibuster rules.

The campaign has turned increasingly personal. Cornyn’s team recently launched a television advertisement using religious imagery to highlight allegations of infidelity against Paxton made by his wife. The ad, which the campaign is spending $330,000 to air initially, features a narrator intoning “Thou shalt not commit adultery” over images of churches and the Bible.

Some Texas Republicans argue that Cornyn represents the party’s best chance to defeat Democratic nominee James Talarico in the general election. “John Cornyn is the only person who can beat James Talarico,” said Rep. Matt Shaheen of Plano. “And I believe the president understands that.”

Others warn that Trump risks appearing disconnected from his base if he backs Cornyn. “I have concern that he may be getting bad advice from certain officials,” said state Rep. Wesley Virdell. “I think it’s going to look really bad for President Trump if he endorses him.”

Rep. Shelley Luther of Grayson County was more blunt about how her constituents would react: “They’d be like, ‘He’s out of touch with what Texans want.'”

As both candidates continue their campaigns, with Paxton scheduled to speak at the Conservative Political Action Committee conference in Dallas, Trump’s endorsement decision looms as a significant test of his political judgment and influence over the Republican Party in a critical election year.