Trump Makes Late Endorsement In Heated Texas Primary

President Trump on Tuesday endorsed Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton to replace incumbent Republican Senator John Cornyn, boosting the MAGA firebrand ahead of the contentious May 26 runoff.

“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,” Trump said on Truth Social. 

“John Cornyn is a good man, and I worked well with him, but he was not supportive of me when times were tough…” he added.

Paxton, speaking to supporters, took a victory lap. 

“I am so honored to have President Trump’s endorsement,” Paxton said. “When he endorses, it has a tremendous impact…I think it creates a slight bit of momentum, don’t you?”

Texas AG & U.S. Senate candidate Ken Paxton (R) speaks after receiving President Trump’s endorsement: “When he endorses, it has a tremendous impact…I think it creates a slight bit of momentum, don’t you?” pic.twitter.com/cGFSrteLV4

— CSPAN (@cspan) May 19, 2026

Trump teased the endorsement while taking questions from reporters at the White House. 

“I think MAGA has never been more together, actually. I’m going to be making an endorsement today in Texas,” Trump said. “I love Texas. I’m going to be making an endorsement at about 12:30, 1 p.m. for the big race — the Senate race in Texas.”

“There are those that say whoever I endorse is going to win. I don’t know if that’s true. Historically, that’s absolutely true. I just don’t like to say it because I don’t like to brag,” Trump added. 

President Trump: “I’m going to be making an endorsement today in Texas — I won Texas all six times meaning primaries and the race. ” pic.twitter.com/baANOzSD3y

— CSPAN (@cspan) May 19, 2026

The 11th-hour endorsement comes after the Cornyn campaign appeared to have given up on securing the president’s support. 

“I think that ship has finally sailed,” Cornyn said to reporters after voting in Austin, Texas.

He was right. 

“I have worked closely with President Trump through both of his Presidential terms and voted with him more than 99% of the time. He has consistently called me a friend in this race,” Cornyn said, reacting to the Paxton endorsement. “It is now time for Texas Republican voters to decide if they want a strong nominee to help our GOP candidates down ballot and defeat Talarico in November, or a weak nominee who jeopardizes everything we care about. I trust the Republican voters of Texas.”

I have worked closely with President Trump through both of his Presidential terms and voted with him more than 99% of the time. He has consistently called me a friend in this race. It is now time for Texas Republican voters to decide if they want a strong nominee to help our GOP…

— Senator John Cornyn (@JohnCornyn) May 19, 2026

When neither Paxton nor Cornyn surpassed the 50% threshold in the initial vote — triggering a runoff — both campaigns stepped up jockeying for Trump’s support.

Paxton raised eyebrows for saying he would consider dropping out of the race if the Senate passed the SAVE America Act.

“I would consider dropping out of this race if Senate Leadership agrees to lift the filibuster and passes the SAVE America Act,” Paxton wrote.

Cornyn wrote in the op-ed that he had previously backed the “60-vote threshold to protect the country,” but said that “when the reality on the ground changes, leaders must take stock and adapt.”

The SAVE America Act push appeared to sway Trump.

“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,” Trump said in his Truth Social endorsement. “Perhaps Ken can help move these important elements of Government forward…”

Turning Point Action backs Paxton, and the National Republican Senatorial Committee backs Cornyn.

“The runoff electorate is gonna naturally favor Paxton, because these are conservatives, these are people that are enthusiastic to turn out and support a strong attorney general and President Trump,” a Republican consultant previously told The Daily Wire.

Whoever wins the Republican nomination will face off against Democratic candidate James Talarico, whom Trump recently ripped into as “weird.”

“I’ll tell you what I do think — I think the Democrats have a weird, a weird candidate. Six genders, a real hit on Jesus,” Trump told reporters on Air Force One. “I mean, this guy is bad news with his mask from relatively recently, and he’s a vegan. He’s a vegan. All of a sudden, he’s not a vegan. He was a vegan, now all of a sudden he’s not.”

“Texas doesn’t like vegans. I do believe either one of them will easily win the race. I think the candidate the Democrats have in Texas is a very flawed, very weak, very — I think he’s a pathetic candidate, especially for Texas,” the president added.