President Donald Trump intensified his support for Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton ahead of Tuesday’s Republican Senate runoff, framing the race against Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) as a test of loyalty to the MAGA movement.
Trump Backs Paxton In Texas Senate Runoff
On Sunday, in a post on Truth Social, Trump praised Paxton as “a GREAT Attorney General, probably the best in the Country,” while attacking his opponent, Cornyn, as “VERY disloyal” to him during his presidency.
Trump also accused Democrats of engaging in the “Weaponization” of government against him and credited Paxton for remaining loyal throughout those political and legal battles.
“He was also very loyal to your favorite President, ME, as the Democrats played their ultimate game of Weaponization, and failed, BADLY!” Trump wrote.
The president used the endorsement to push election-related policies he has championed since the 2020 election, including voter ID laws, proof of citizenship requirements and limits on mail-in voting.
Trump criticized Paxton’s opponent for not fighting hard enough for the “SAVE AMERICA ACT,” which he described as supporting “VOTER I.D., PROOF OF CITIZENSHIP, NO MAIL-IN BALLOTS.”
He ended the post with a direct appeal to Republican voters: “Vote for Ken Paxton on Tuesday, HE WILL NEVER LET YOU DOWN!!!”
Cornyn did not immediately respond to Benzinga’s request for comments.
Last week, Trump backed his support behind Paxton in Texas’s closely watched Senate race, effectively sidelining Cornyn ahead of the GOP primary runoff.
“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 on Social media.
GOP Frustration Over Trump
The runoff was set to be decided on Tuesday after a tough campaign between the Texas attorney general and the senator.
Senate Republicans expressed frustration and disappointment over Trump’s decision to endorse Paxton instead of Cornyn in the primary, reported The Hill.
Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) called Paxton “ethically challenged” and said Cornyn was an “outstanding senator and deserved in my judgment the president’s support.”
She added that she was disappointed in the decision, even though it was ultimately the president’s call.
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
Image via Shutterstock/ Joshua Sukoff
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