President Trump endorses Ken Paxton in critical Texas Senate race
By Easton Martin | May 19, 2026
President Donald Trump announced his endorsement of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton on Tuesday, shaking up the competitive Republican primary runoff for the United States Senate just one week before voters head to the polls.
The decision delivers a major boost to Paxton as he attempts to unseat incumbent Senator John Cornyn, a four-term lawmaker who has served in the Senate since 2002. The runoff election is scheduled for May 26, and early voting across Texas began on Monday.
In a lengthy announcement posted to Truth Social, Trump praised Paxton as a dedicated loyalist to his political movement. Trump stated that Paxton is a true MAGA warrior who has always delivered for Texas and will continue to do so in the United States Senate. Trump noted that Paxton has gone through a lot, in many cases very unfairly, but called him a fighter who knows how to win.
The endorsement also contained direct criticism of Cornyn. While Trump referred to the incumbent as a good man and acknowledged that they worked well together during his presidency, he added that Cornyn was not supportive when times were tough. Trump criticized Cornyn for being very late in backing his 2024 presidential nomination bid.
Trump specifically pointed to Paxton’s aggressive stance on Senate rules and conservative legislation as primary reasons for his support. Trump wrote that Paxton is a strong supporter of terminating the filibuster and passing the SAVE America Act, a signature Republican voting bill aimed at tightening election regulations. The legislative filibuster currently requires a 60-vote threshold to pass most legislation in the Senate, a rule that Paxton has argued must be abolished to advance the Trump agenda.
Paxton expressed his gratitude shortly after the announcement. In a statement released by his campaign, Paxton said he was deeply honored by the endorsement and looked forward to championing the America First agenda in Washington. Paxton stated that he has consistently stood by President Trump even when the Washington establishment and career politicians like John Cornyn turned their backs on him.
