President Donald Trump endorsed Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in the Republican Senate runoff against Sen. John Cornyn ahead of the May 26 election.
HOUSTON — President Donald Trump announced his endorsement in Texas’ closely watched Republican U.S. Senate runoff, throwing his support behind Ken Paxton on Tuesday.
Trump endorsed Paxton in a lengthy social media post, calling the Texas attorney general an “America First Patriot” and a “true MAGA Warrior.” The president praised Paxton’s support for conservative priorities, including eliminating the filibuster and passing the SAVE America Act, while contrasting him with incumbent Senator John Cornyn.
“Ken Paxton has my Complete and Total Endorsement to be the next United States Senator from the Great State of Texas,” Trump wrote.
The endorsement lands just before the May 26 runoff election between Cornyn and Paxton.
Here is the president’s full statement:
“The Highly Respected Attorney General of Texas, Ken Paxton, an America First Patriot, and someone who has always been extremely loyal to me and our AMAZING MAGA MOVEMENT, is running for the United States Senate, to represent a place I love and WON, BIG, three times, with 6.4 Million Votes in 2024 (The Most Votes in the History of the State, BY FAR)!
“I know Ken well, have seen him tested at the highest and most difficult levels, and he is a WINNER! Ken is a Strong Supporter of TERMINATING THE FILIBUSTER and, very importantly, THE SAVE AMERICA ACT, something which polls at 87%, including Dumocrats, and yet can’t seem to get approved. Perhaps Ken can help move these important elements of Government forward because with the Filibuster, as an example, the Democrats will terminate it on their First Day in Office, giving us two extra States, D.C. and Puerto Rico, and a greatly enlarged Supreme Court of the United States, probably going with their Dream Number of 21 Justices from the 9 that we currently have — And these new Justices will be Radical Left Lunatics! Two years ago, our Country was DEAD — Now we have the “HOTTEST” Country anywhere in the World — And I want to keep it that way. Ken Paxton will help me do that, MAKING AMERICA BIGGER, BETTER, AND STRONGER THAN EVER BEFORE!
“Ken is a true MAGA Warrior who has ALWAYS delivered for Texas, and will continue to do so in the United States Senate. He will tirelessly fight to continue the Great Growth of our Economy, Cut Taxes and Regulations (I just delivered the Largest Tax and Regulation Cuts in American History!), and Advance MADE IN THE U.S.A., Unleash American Energy DOMINANCE, Champion Texas Oil & Gas, Advocate for our Amazing Farmers and Ranchers, Promote School Choice, Keep our Border SECURE, Stop Migrant Crime, Support our Incredible Military/Veterans, Safeguard our Elections, and Protect our always under siege Second Amendment.
“John Cornyn is a good man, and I worked well with him, but he was not supportive of me when times were tough and, despite having the Most Successful Economy in the History of our Country during my First Term and, with all of the many other things that I accomplished (Secure Border, Military Dominance, Space Force, All Time High Stock Markets and 401(k)s, Record Job and Economic Growth, and so many other things that would be impossible to readily list!), which are considered by many to be legendary, John was very late in backing me in what turned out to be a Historic Run for the Republican Nomination, and then, the Presidency, itself, both of which were Landslide Victories and, more importantly, gave us the Country that we have today — THE GOLDEN AGE OF AMERICA (and when we finish up with Iran, which will not be allowed to have a Nuclear Weapon, you will see numbers that have never been generated by our Country before!), as opposed to the DISASTER of the previous Administration.
“Ken Paxton has gone through a lot, in many cases, very unfairly, but he is a Fighter, and knows how to WIN. Our Country needs Fighters, and also Loyalty to the Cause of Greatness. We can never allow what happened to the United States of America during the Corrupt Biden Administration, to happen again. In Texas alone, just look at the Border, with the Highest Level Criminals allowed to run through your State, totally unvetted and unchecked, through an Open Border Policy that was a Laughingstock all over the World. I came in, and fixed it, IMMEDIATELY. I will not permit those dark and dangerous days to come back! WE HAVE ALREADY MADE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN, BUT NOW, WE WANT TO MAKE OUR NATION BETTER THAN EVER BEFORE. Therefore, Ken Paxton has my Complete and Total Endorsement to be the next United States Senator from the Great State of Texas – KEN PAXTON WILL NEVER LET YOU DOWN!”
The Republican primary headed to a runoff after neither Cornyn nor Paxton secured a majority during the initial vote. U.S. Rep. Wesley Hunt also ran in the primary but finished third and conceded.
Political observers have predicted the runoff would become one of the most expensive and aggressive Republican contests in Texas in years.
“It’s going to get ugly and it’s going to drag down whichever nominee ends up being the winner,” KHOU 11 Political analyst Brendan Rottinghaus said.
Both Cornyn and Paxton have spent months highlighting their ties to Trump while trying to appeal to Republican voters across Texas.
Cornyn, who is seeking a fifth term in the U.S. Senate, recently introduced legislation that would designate U.S. Highway 287 as “Interstate 47,” or “Trump Interstate.”
“Texas is Trump Country, and this bill cements that legacy by designating nearly 1,800 miles of open road from Texas’ Gulf Coast to the edge of the U.S.-Canadian border as I-47 to forever be remembered as Trump Interstate,” Cornyn said.
The proposed interstate would stretch from Port Arthur, Texas, to Choteau, Montana.
Cornyn’s office said the legislation would help advance freight movement, promote economic growth, improve safety, reduce congestion and increase federal matching funds for interstate projects.
The proposal came as Cornyn continued trying to close the gap in polling against Paxton.
According to a recent University of Houston Hobby School of Public Affairs poll, Paxton led the Republican Senate race with 48% support compared to 45% for Cornyn. Another 7% of voters surveyed said they remained undecided.
The survey, conducted between April 28 and May 1, included 1,200 likely voters and carried a margin of error of plus or minus 2.83 percentage points.
Paxton has remained popular with many Texas Republicans and has gained national attention for filing lawsuits against Democratic initiatives. He was also acquitted during a 2023 impeachment trial on corruption charges.
Earlier in the race, Paxton said he would consider dropping out under certain conditions, including if Senate Republicans agreed to drop the filibuster and pass the SAVE America Act, which would add stricter proof-of-citizenship requirements for voting.
The Republican nominee will advance to the November general election.