Texas Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico, who has made fighting corruption a central part of his campaign, attended a Dallas-area fundraiser earlier this month at the home of a convicted fraudster who has donated thousands of dollars to his campaign.
The <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DbaqqcvxBsv/">August 6 fundraiser</a> in DeSoto, Texas, was hosted at the home of Thomas Merrill Gaubert, 86, a Dallas-area real estate developer and former savings-and-loan owner who served three years in federal prison for bankruptcy fraud and money laundering.
<a href="https://www.fec.gov/data/receipts/?data_type=processed&amp;contributor_name=thomas+gaubert&amp;max_date=12%2F31%2F2026">Federal Election Commission</a> records show Gaubert donated $3,500 to Talarico&#8217;s campaign in September 2025 and another $3,500 in March 2026.
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/janderson.lester/posts/pfbid02zfpwkdb6ZU1AiUaoUsKdWxZBWy2TSQbwSihjrxbS3cvJVB2gekS3Mb6zmpMBbEqKl">Photos</a> from the event show Talarico speaking poolside at Gaubert&#8217;s home, with the convicted fraudster seated nearby. In another image, Talarico poses for a photograph as Gaubert, wearing a pink collared shirt and khaki shorts, stands in the background. The Daily Wire independently reviewed the address and photos of the property and confirmed that the images were taken at the home.
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<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-1166649 size-full" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/08/Untitled-design-2.png" alt="" width="386" height="515" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/08/Untitled-design-2.png 386w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/08/Untitled-design-2-225x300.png 225w" sizes=" (max-width: 386px) 100vw, 386px" /></div>
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<div id="attachment_1166599" style="width: 452px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1166599" class="wp-image-1166599 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/08/765573506_3664089240395889_1217918065044311701_n-442x576.jpg" alt="" width="442" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/08/765573506_3664089240395889_1217918065044311701_n-442x576.jpg 442w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/08/765573506_3664089240395889_1217918065044311701_n-230x300.jpg 230w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/08/765573506_3664089240395889_1217918065044311701_n-768x1002.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/08/765573506_3664089240395889_1217918065044311701_n.jpg 960w" sizes=" (max-width: 442px) 100vw, 442px" />Talarico poses for a photo as Thomas Gaubert appears in the background in a pink shirt.</div>
In 1993, Gaubert was convicted in federal court on 10 counts, including bankruptcy fraud and money laundering. At the time, he was also awaiting trial in a separate case in which he later pleaded guilty to bank fraud. Gaubert served three years in federal prison, <a href="https://laist.com/news/npr-news/texas-banks-draw-on-lessons-from-the-s-l-crisis">according to NPR</a>. Gaubert cost taxpayers roughly $500 million by looting his Independent American Savings Association, prosecutors said.
Gaubert contended his innocence and blamed regulators for driving his S&amp;L into the ground. &#8220;They can put you in jail, they can destroy you if you let them. But if you&#8217;ve got good work ethic and you&#8217;re smart people and you&#8217;re willing to work hard, the world doesn&#8217;t end,&#8221; Gaubert told the outlet in 2008.
In a 1996 profile, <a href="https://www.dmagazine.com/publications/d-magazine/1996/december/sleaze-magnet/">D Magazine</a> described the Talarico supporter as a high-profile Democratic fundraiser who had raised millions for former U.S. House Speaker Jim Wright (D-TX) and other elected officials before his real estate empire collapsed.
Gaubert’s bankruptcy fraud conviction followed an earlier federal criminal case in 1988 involving a $32 million loan tied to a condominium project, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/1988/10/31/business/land-dealer-is-acquitted.html">The New York Times</a> reported. He was <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/1988/10/31/business/land-dealer-is-acquitted.html">acquitted</a> of all five counts in that case.
The exclusive fundraiser, helped by the Dallas County Democratic Party, was also co-hosted by <a href="https://www.zachariahlaw.com/about">Jacob Zachariah</a>, a criminal defense attorney whose law firm represents people accused of crimes against children. 
Talarico&#8217;s campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment on whether the candidate was aware of Gaubert&#8217;s criminal history when he attended the fundraiser or whether the campaign intends to return Gaubert&#8217;s donations.
On the campaign trail, however, Talarico has frequently branded Ken Paxton “<a href="https://x.com/jamestalarico/status/2059442627393597577?s=20">the most corrupt politician in America</a>” — despite previously arguing that Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) was even more corrupt.
“I was part of the bipartisan majority in the Texas House that voted to impeach our corrupt attorney general, so I know his crimes better than most people do. But I would say that John Cornyn is even more corrupt than Ken Paxton,” Talarico <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KPgL8TpPTKE">said</a> in a recent interview. “John Cornyn was the deciding vote on that big ugly bill last year.” 
“It&#8217;s a bill that is going to kick millions of Texans off their health care. It&#8217;s going to take food out of the mouths of hungry Texas children, all to give yet another tax break to John Cornyn&#8217;s billionaire mega donors,” he added. “Ken Paxton was impeached for using his public office to enrich his donors in a very literal illegal way, but John Cornyn, at a massive scale, is using his public office to enrich his donors, so to me, it&#8217;s two sides of the same corrupt coin.”
The Texas Senate acquitted Ken Paxton of all 16 impeachment articles in 2023 after the state House accused him of corruption and abuse of office, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/texas-senate-votes-to-acquit-attorney-general-ken-paxton-of-all-charges">The Daily Wire</a> reported. 
Impeachment managers alleged Paxton accepted bribes from Austin real estate developer and campaign donor Nate Paul, including an agreement to hire Paxton’s alleged mistress and renovations to his home, in exchange for helping Paul as he faced an FBI investigation. Paxton’s defense attorney Tony Buzbee called the impeachment proceedings a “political witch hunt.”
With 68 days to go until Election Day, <a href="https://www.cookpolitical.com/senate/race/488686?utm_source=chatgpt.com">Cook Political Report</a> rates the race — which could determine control of the Senate — as a toss-up.

James Talarico

Talarico Attends Fundraiser Hosted By Infamous Convicted Fraudster

2026 midterm election

james talarico

john cornyn

ken paxton

politics

texas senate race

Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott is downplaying fears that Democrats could flip the Lone Star State blue this year and, with it, seize control of the U.S. Senate.
In an interview with <a href="https://abcnews.com/Politics/week-transcript-8-23-26-texas-gov-greg/story?id=135865528">ABC News</a>, Jonathan Karl pressed the three-term governor on Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s fundraising woes and whether his political baggage could cost Republicans the must-win U.S. Senate race against Democrat James Talarico.
&#8220;So, I&#8217;ve heard from Republicans, Texas Republicans, who have real concerns about Ken Paxton, the nominee for Senate or for your party. They say he&#8217;s not working hard enough. He&#8217;s not raising money. He&#8217;s got too much baggage. Do you share some of those concerns?&#8221; Karl asked Abbott.
“Well, let&#8217;s put it in context where Ken Paxton is in his campaign, and that is he was in a three-month-long runoff that demanded capital, it demanded campaigning, demanded his attention, and so he&#8217;s just now catching up in the campaign process with Talarico,” Abbott said, adding, “Talarico got away with something, and that is with Ken Paxton campaigning against John Cornyn as opposed to Talarico.” 
The Senate GOP’s fundraising arms continue to withhold money from Paxton’s campaign after President Donald Trump led the effort to oust incumbent Republican Sen. John Cornyn. Since then, Talarico has <a href="https://www.texastribune.org/2026/08/20/texas-us-senate-race-donors-ken-paxton-james-talarico/">dominated</a> the airwaves while Paxton has struggled to raise money in one of the nation’s largest and most expensive states for statewide campaigns. The <a href="https://www.realclearpolling.com/polls/senate/general/2026/texas/talarico-vs-paxton">RealClearPolitics</a> polling average gives Talarico a narrow one-point advantage. 
“In that runoff, John Cornyn said he was the kiss of death for Republicans and for the Republican ticket in 2026, that he would be an albatross on the party. He said if he&#8217;s the nominee, we could well experience a massacre and the first Democrat elected statewide,&#8221; Karl pressed Abbott. 
The Texas governor, who is running for a fourth term, downplayed those concerns, arguing that elections “are about choices.”
“And when voters go to make a choice on November the 3rd, the contrast they will see between Ken Paxton and James Talarico is so extraordinary. That choice is going to be easy. And they&#8217;ll be voting for Ken Paxton, and they&#8217;ll be voting against James Talarico,” Abbott said.
Paxton holds his strongest advantage among white voters and men, while Talarico leads among most black and Hispanic voters, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ken-paxton-gets-some-much-needed-good-news-in-race-against-talarico?author=Jacob+Wheeler&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=19&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Ken+Paxton+Gets+Some+Much+Needed+Good+News+In+Race+Against+Talarico">according to one survey</a>. Talarico held just a one-point advantage among women after facing backlash over his <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/talarico-says-god-is-not-a-christian-in-unearthed-sermon?author=Jacob+Wheeler&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=5&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Talarico+Says+%E2%80%98God+Is+Not+A+Christian%E2%80%99+In+Unearthed+Sermon">views</a> on Christianity, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/watch-james-talarico-says-he-loves-trans-children-in-unearthed-clip">“love” for transgender children</a>, and disdain for the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-audio-thats-blowing-a-hole-in-talaricos-christian-persona">American flag.</a> 
Top issues for Texas voters include the economy (30%), immigration (19%), threats to democracy (14%), and healthcare (13%), according to the Emerson College poll. Republican voters rank immigration as their top issue (32%), while Democrats (33%) and independents (31%) rate the economy as their top concern.
Those issues have not stopped either campaign from diving into hot-button cultural issues as both sides wage a fierce battle for Christian voters who will likely play a pivotal role in November. The Daily Wire earlier this week uncovered the Democrat hopeful calling God &#8216;not Christian&#8217; and comparing evangelism to forcing alcohol on young children.
&#8220;Christians and Muslims and Jews all worship the same God,&#8221; Talarico is caught saying in an <a href="https://x.com/LoneStar_PAC/status/2091533921968087104?s=20">unearthed video.</a>  &#8220;Muslims love Jesus&#8230; We are all branches on the same tree.&#8221;
The <a href="https://www.cookpolitical.com/senate/race/488686">Cook Political Report</a> ranks the race as a toss-up.

Texas Gov. Abbott Casts His Vote On First Day Of Early Voting For Primary Election Runoff

Greg Abbott Has A Message For Those Betting On Texas Turning Blue

greg abbott

Texas Democratic Senate Candidate James Talarico has crossed the aisle for a campaign hire, bringing on a former aide to outgoing Republican Sen. John Cornyn ahead of his November showdown with Republican Ken Paxton.  
Jacob Smith, who will serve as deputy policy director for Talarico&#8217;s campaign, is no stranger to campaigns against Paxton. Smith previously worked for Cornyn, who lost the Republican Senate primary to Paxton earlier this year. If Talarico wins in November, Smith could find himself working in the same Senate office — just under a different boss and political affiliation.
&#8220;I’ve worked for Republicans like Senator Cornyn my entire career, but this year I’m proud to be joining James Talarico’s campaign,&#8221; Smith said in a statement. &#8220;Instead of playing partisan politics, Talarico speaks to the needs of everyday people who day in and day out work too hard for too little.&#8221;
&#8220;Ken Paxton is the most corrupt, self-dealing politician in Texas who would sell their futures to the highest contributor just to hold onto power,&#8221; Smith <a href="https://www.notus.org/campaigns/james-talarico-cornyn-staffer-texas-senate">added</a>. &#8220;I&#8217;m encouraging all my fellow Republicans who know Ken Paxton is unfit to serve in the Senate to finally hold him accountable at the ballot box.&#8221;
Smith worked for Cornyn for five years, serving as a deputy legislative director and policy adviser.
Talarico’s new hire could signal an effort to broaden his appeal beyond the Democratic base as the midterm elections approach. Despite bringing a longtime Republican Senate aide onto his campaign, Talarico’s political stance differs vastly from those of both Smith&#8217;s former boss and Paxton.
 Talarico has slammed Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott’s border enforcement policy. 
“Regardless of your political affiliation, regardless of where you fall on the political spectrum,” he said. “Greg Abbott is hunting people for his own political gain. And that’s the most cynical thing that I’ve seen in my time in Texas politics.” 
Talarico has also taken leftist positions on transgender issues. He has opposed restrictions on transgender participation in sports and drew national attention after saying that “God is nonbinary.” 
After facing backlash from Republicans over the comment, Talarico responded by arguing that America is focused “on the wrong 1%.”
“Trans people aren’t taking away our healthcare. Undocumented people aren’t defunding our schools,” he said. “It’s the billionaires and their puppet politicians. And so we need not only the media, but all of us, to focus on the real problem at hand.”
Talarico has also proposed repealing tax breaks in President Donald Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill and redistributing the money to people who need a “cost-of-living tax cut.” His plan to fix affordability includes raising the minimum wage and canceling medical debt. 
Paxton, meanwhile, has proposed tax deductions for health care and housing, including a $25,000 deduction for out-of-pocket medical expenses, a $50,000 deduction for first-time homebuyers, and a $50,000 tax break on down payments for people moving homes.

Democratic Senate Candidate Talarico Participates In Juneteenth March

Ex-Cornyn Aide Switches Teams To Work For Talarico Campaign

Podcaster Chuck Todd melted down over the Senate’s confirmation of Todd Blanche as U.S. attorney general, claiming — without providing evidence — that Republicans who voted for him have inflicted damage on America that will take “decades” to fix.
“I do not think he understands the distinction between being the lawyer for Donald John Trump and the lawyer for the people,” Todd said of Blanche. “This is damage that&#8217;s going to take decades to get out of, and this confirmation has just made the project of fixing America a lot harder and a lot longer.&#8221;
Todd, a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/former-nbc-host-says-hell-never-enter-a-room-with-trump-in-it-again">longtime Trump critic</a> and former host of NBC’s “Meet the Press,” argued that Sens. Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Thom Tillis (R-NC), and John Cornyn (R-TX) had caved to pressure from people to whom he referred as “Trump’s goons.”
“I know the reality that they live in. I have empathy personally. These people are terrible. The Trump goons come after anybody that stands in their way, and goons is the way to call them. I understand the incoming that they&#8217;re receiving, and they just want to go into retirement, and they&#8217;re in their 60s and 70s, and they don&#8217;t want to do this. It&#8217;s exhausting, and then after they leave, they will tell us how terrible it is,” he lamented on his podcast.
Over the weekend, the U.S. Senate <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/senate-confirms-todd-blanche-as-attorney-general-in-razor-thin-late-night-vote">confirmed</a> Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche as the nation’s attorney general following a drawn-out process marked by political bargaining and divisions within the Republican Party.
The chamber voted 50-49, with two Republicans — Sens. Susan Collins (R-ME) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) — joining Democrats in opposing Blanche’s nomination. Collins said her vote stemmed from her belief that the Justice Department “has become increasingly political.”
“Mr. Blanche has taken several actions that have further eroded the Department’s independence, and that is the basis for my vote to oppose his confirmation,” she said in a <a href="https://www.collins.senate.gov/newsroom/senator-collins-statement-on-nomination-of-todd-blanche-to-serve-as-attorney-general">statement</a> earlier this week.
Cornyn, working with Tillis, exacted a major concession from the Trump administration in exchange for their votes: kill the proposed $1.8 billion <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/senator-scorned-by-trump-threatens-to-hold-ag-nominee-hostage-over-weaponization-fund">“anti-weaponization” fund</a> that drew bipartisan backlash and never materialized.
Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA), who had also voiced strong concerns about Blanche, ultimately fell in line, providing the pivotal vote.
“Mr. Blanche is not perfect, and he will tell you this,” Cassidy <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/todd-blanche-gets-guarantee-from-key-senator-on-confirmation-vote">said</a>. “But the choice is not between perfection and Mr. Blanche. It is between Mr. Blanche and another acting attorney general who may not run the department effectively under President Trump, and who indeed may not be as good as Mr. Blanche.”
That rationale angered Chuck Todd, who argued Senate Republicans have repeatedly appeased Trump on issues ranging from January 6th, public health, and the rule of law.
“But at the end of the day, they didn&#8217;t have the guts to do this when it mattered. Look, they have to sleep at night. I don&#8217;t know if they will be able to,” Todd said. “What&#8217;s the point of advice and consent? All you&#8217;re going to do is consent. And consent. I guess we should call it advice and capitulate, because that&#8217;s what this feels like–a capitulation.”

Meet the Press – Season 76

Chuck Todd Melts Down Over Blanche, Says GOP Senators Fear Trump’s ‘Goons’

bill cassidy

chuck todd

thom tillis

todd blanche

Texas has long been one of the Republican Party&#8217;s strongest states, particularly in the Trump era. But with just three months until Election Day, the GOP is confronting an uncomfortable reality: one of its safest Senate seats is suddenly looking competitive.
Three public polls released in the last week show Democratic state Rep. James Talarico narrowly leading Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton, raising concerns that a bruising Republican primary and lingering questions about Paxton’s personal controversies may have left the GOP nominee vulnerable in November.
A <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/fox-news-poll-gop-divisions-shape-texas-senate-race">Fox News poll</a> released last week found Talarico leading Paxton 51% to 48% among registered voters. A <a href="https://texaspublicopinionresearch.substack.com/p/new-poll-james-talaricos-lead-over">Texas Public Opinion Research</a> (TPOR) survey of likely voters found Talarico ahead 45% to 40%, while the latest survey from the <a href="https://static1.squarespace.com/static/67aa7aa3e284b002cd6a420e/t/6a713767d4ed824b91ea090d/1785804647961/Texas+Statewide+August2026.pdf">Barbara Jordan Public Policy Research and Survey Center</a> showed Talarico leading 47% to 45%.
While all three results fall within or near the polls’ margins of error, the consistency of the findings has forced Republicans to confront a difficult reality: Paxton is not beginning the general election with the overwhelming advantage traditionally enjoyed by Republican nominees in Texas.
President Donald Trump carried Texas by nearly 14 percentage points in 2024, but Paxton has struggled to replicate the strength of the broader Republican coalition, particularly among independents and some factions of the GOP electorate. The central challenge for Paxton is not simply convincing undecided voters to choose him, it is repairing the fractures created during a bitter Republican primary against longtime Sen. John Cornyn.
Paxton defeated Cornyn after receiving Trump’s endorsement, but the contest exposed a deep divide inside the Texas Republican Party. Cornyn, a longtime Senate leader with strong support among establishment Republicans and major donors, was defeated despite millions of dollars in outside spending aimed at stopping Paxton.
That division has carried into the general election. Several prominent Republican donors who supported Cornyn have been slow to fully embrace Paxton’s campaign, creating concerns among Republicans that their nominee may lack the financial resources necessary to define Talarico before Democrats can define him first. Talarico, meanwhile, has built a <a href="https://abcnews.com/Politics/democrats-dominate-fundraising-key-senate-races-republicans-ample/story?id=134829415">significant fundraising operation</a>, raising tens of millions of dollars as he attempts to become the first Democrat in more than three decades to win statewide office in Texas.
The polling suggests that Paxton’s personal image remains one of his biggest liabilities. The Fox News survey found 59% of Texas voters are concerned Paxton lacks the character necessary to serve in the Senate, compared with 47% who believe Talarico is too extreme. Even among Republicans, 36% expressed concerns about Paxton’s character. The TPOR poll found Paxton with the worst favorability rating of any major figure tested, with 33% viewing him favorably and 46% unfavorably. Talarico, meanwhile, held a net positive rating, with 43% favorable and 31% unfavorable.
The Barbara Jordan survey showed a similar dynamic, with 39% of likely voters viewing Paxton favorably compared with 57% who viewed him negatively. Talarico was more evenly rated, with 46% favorable and 47% unfavorable.
Still, Paxton’s supporters argue his personal numbers are less important than the ideological contrast between the two candidates. The Fox News poll found roughly eight in 10 supporters of both candidates said their vote was primarily about where the candidates stand on issues rather than their personal qualities.
Republicans have already begun attacking Talarico over his past statements and positions on issues including transgender policy, immigration, religion, and healthcare. 
The challenge, however, is that Talarico enters the general election with some advantages of his own. The TPOR poll found voters trusted Talarico more than Paxton on the issue dominating many voters’ concerns: affordability. 44% of respondents said the cost of living was among their top priorities heading into 2026, and voters trusted Talarico over Paxton by nine points when asked who they trusted more to lower costs and improve Texans’ financial situations.
The Democratic candidate has also performed strongly among independents. The TPOR survey found Talarico leading Paxton among independent voters 43% to 23%, while the Barbara Jordan poll showed Talarico ahead among independents 63% to 23%. The Fox News poll also found signs of an enthusiasm advantage for Democrats, with Democratic voters more likely than Republicans to describe themselves as highly motivated and highly interested in the midterms.
The demographic breakdowns have similarly raised concerns for Republicans. Texas Republicans have historically relied on overwhelming margins among rural white voters to offset Democratic strength in urban areas and minority communities. But the latest surveys suggest Paxton’s advantage among white voters is significantly smaller than recent Republican nominees.
The Barbara Jordan poll found Paxton leading among white voters by 14 points, 53% to 39%. That compares with Trump’s 33-point advantage among white voters in Texas in the 2024 election. 
The same survey found Talarico leading among Hispanic voters by 19 points, 57% to 38%, while Fox News found Talarico ahead among Hispanic voters by 18 points. The shift among Hispanic voters is particularly significant because Texas Republicans had hopes that gains could be made with the demographic after Trump won Hispanic voters in Texas narrowly in 2024.
Despite the warning signs, Republicans remain confident the race can be stabilized. Republicans have controlled every statewide office for more than three decades, and the Fox News poll found the Republican Party holding a higher favorability rating than the Democratic Party statewide.
For Republicans, the path forward is clear but difficult: unite the party, rebuild donor support, and convince voters that Talarico represents a Democratic agenda they do not want in Washington.
For Democrats, the challenge is equally clear: overcome decades of Republican dominance and prove that Texas has become competitive enough for a statewide breakthrough.
Texas is still a Republican state. But for the first time in years, Republicans are entering a Senate race there facing a question that once seemed impossible: whether their hold on the Lone Star State is beginning to weaken.

James Talarico/Ken Paxton

Senate Race In Solid Red State Remains Too Close For GOP Comfort

WASHINGTON — Two key Republican holdouts have agreed to back Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, clearing the path to his confirmation following days of dramatic and public negotiations.
Senators Thom Tillis of North Carolina and John Cornyn of Texas put out a statement on Monday announcing that they had successfully negotiated a &#8220;legally enforceable document,&#8221; gaining <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/todd-blanche-makes-move-to-secure-votes-from-two-gop-holdouts">clarity from Blanche</a> on the &#8220;Anti-Weaponization Fund&#8221; as well as the IRS audit. They thanked Blanche and his team for working with them and said they are looking forward to &#8220;voting to advance his nomination out of the Senate Judiciary Committee soon.&#8221;
“From the outset, we were clear that we needed a written document addressing our concerns on the IRS audit agreement and the anti-weaponization fund that included constraining the scope of audit protection by limiting it to the parties of the Settlement Agreement and legally ending the anti-weaponization fund,&#8221; Tillis and Cornyn announced.
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<div id="attachment_1149345" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/key-gop-holdouts-agree-to-back-todd-blanche-for-attorney-general/texas-sen-cornyn-holds-up-judiciary-committee-confirmation-vote-on-blanche-2" rel="attachment wp-att-1149345"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1149345" class="wp-image-1149345 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/08/GettyImages-2288333545-864x576.jpg" alt="" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/08/GettyImages-2288333545-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/08/GettyImages-2288333545-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/08/GettyImages-2288333545-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/08/GettyImages-2288333545.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" /></a>U.S. Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) answers questions from reporters trailing after him following a vote in the U.S. Capitol on July 30, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)</div>
“We are pleased that the Department of Justice has issued a formal order terminating the anti-weaponization fund,&#8221; they added. &#8220;Additionally, the Department has acknowledged in a binding written order that the audit settlement is limited to the plaintiffs and the scope does not extend beyond the defendants in the lawsuit, the IRS and the Treasury, addressing concerns that multiple of our Republican colleagues share.”
The Senate Judiciary Committee will vote on Tuesday on Blanche&#8217;s confirmation, and a full Senate floor vote is expected later this week.
The news comes after President Donald Trump suggested last week that he might pull Blanche&#8217;s confirmation until the two Republicans blocking his way had departed the Senate.
“Remember, both Cornyn and Tillis voted for Merrick Garland, and others, too numerous to mention,” Trump said in a Truth Social post on Thursday. “I have no objection to temporarily withdrawing Todd’s name, if they do not do the right thing, and putting him back after Cornyn and Tillis are out of office.”
The president described Blanche as a “star” with the “potential to go down as one of the Greatest Attorney Generals of All Time,&#8221; slamming Cornyn and Tillis for refusing to vote for Blanche.
The senators had threatened to derail Blanche’s nomination over the $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization” fund, a plan the DOJ said it had abandoned after pushback from lawmakers and after a Clinton-appointed judge had issued a temporary restraining order on the fund in May. Last Wednesday, Cornyn told Punchbowl News that the DOJ’s written proposal did not satisfy his demands.
“They know what they need to do, but they simply refuse to do it,” Cornyn said, sharing that he had cancelled a scheduled meeting with Blanche.

Texas Sen. Cornyn Holds Up Judiciary Committee Confirmation Vote On Blanche

Key GOP Holdouts Agree To Back Todd Blanche For Attorney General

department of justice

senate judiciary committee

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche officially rescinded a proposed $1.8 billion fund intended to compensate the targets of government weaponization opposed by some Republican senators. 
Blanche <a href="https://x.com/DAGToddBlanche/status/2084114427813437897/photo/2">issued</a> a document on Sunday stipulating that the $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization” fund created in May 2026 is “rescinded and shall have no force or effect.” The decision could pave the way for his confirmation as permanent head of the Justice Department after multiple Republican senators said they would not support his nomination until the fund was discontinued.
“My team and I have met with committee members and Senators over the past several weeks and addressed any concerns or outstanding questions,” Blanche said. “We have enjoyed good faith discussions, and as a result issue the following order and update with regard to the May IRS settlement. The Department always welcomes and appreciates productive engagement with all members of Congress.”
Outgoing Senators John Cornyn (R-TX) and Thom Tillis (R-NC) have stood in the way of Blanche’s confirmation, saying they will not vote to advance him until the fund is “dead.” Blanche previously told the senators there was no plan to move forward with the fund. 
Both Cornyn and Tillis increasingly feuded with President Donald Trump after the president signaled that he did want them back in the Senate for another term. Tillis decided not to run for re-election after Trump declined to endorse him, and the president endorsed Ken Paxton in the Texas GOP primary. The pair sits on the Senate Judiciary Committee, which is set to vote on Blanche’s nomination on Tuesday.
&#8220;Todd Blanche is a very, very good man, and he shouldn&#8217;t be in the middle of this. He should get approved because you will never get anybody like him,&#8221; Trump said last week. &#8220;And to make him a pawn in this whole thing &#8230; this is being done by a senator [Cornyn], and I don&#8217;t really blame him to be honest with you. &#8230; The man that lost, the man that I didn&#8217;t endorse has become very angry, and that&#8217;s okay.&#8221;
Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-threatens-to-pull-blanche-nomination-until-problematic-gop-senators-depart?author=Mary+Margaret+Olohan&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=3&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Trump+Threatens+To+Pull+Blanche+Nomination+Until+Problematic+GOP+Senators+Depart">floated</a> the idea last week of yanking Blanche’s nomination until Cornyn and Tillis are out of office. 
“Remember, both Cornyn and Tillis voted for Merrick Garland, and others, too numerous to mention,” Trump said in a Truth Social post. “I have no objection to temporarily withdrawing Todd’s name, if they do not do the right thing, and putting him back after Cornyn and Tillis are out of office.” 
Over the weekend, Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/117020029291674756">said</a> that if Blanche was not confirmed, he would continue to “push hard to get the Anti-Weaponization Bill, which takes care of those who have been so badly treated by the Crooked Joe Biden (and Obuma!) Administration.”
Responding to Trump’s post, Tillis <a href="https://x.com/SenThomTillis/status/2083528424199537032">said</a> that the president “clearly intends to resurrect the payout pot for punks either by inappropriately establishing another bogus fund or pushing Congress to vote for a bill that the majority of Republicans in the Senate would be against.”
Tillis said he considered Blanche “qualified for the job” but would not vote to move him forward over the weaponization fund.

Attorney General Nominee Todd Blanche Meets With Senators On Capitol Hill

Todd Blanche Makes Move To Secure Votes From Two GOP Holdouts

donald trump

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump suggested Thursday that he might pull the confirmation of Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche until two Republicans blocking Blanche&#8217;s confirmation have departed the Senate.
Blanche would remain as acting attorney general, the president shared on Thursday morning, slamming Sens. John Cornyn (R-TX) and Thom Tillis (R-NC) for refusing to vote for Blanche.
Cornyn and Tillis have expressed apprehensions about Blanche, saying they would not vote to confirm Trump&#8217;s DOJ appointee until their concerns have been addressed.
Two sources familiar with the matter told The Daily Wire on Thursday evening that the DOJ had submitted a written response to both senators that addressed their concerns. But Trump&#8217;s post on Thursday morning indicated the response had not been good enough — and that he&#8217;d figure out another way to circumvent the senators.
<div id="attachment_1147257" style="width: 805px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-threatens-to-pull-blanche-nomination-until-problematic-gop-senators-depart/acting-attorney-general-todd-blanche-testifies-to-senate-judiciary-committee-at-his-confirmation-hearing-2" rel="attachment wp-att-1147257"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1147257" class="wp-image-1147257 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/07/GettyImages-2286226821-1-795x576.jpg" alt="" width="795" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/07/GettyImages-2286226821-1-795x576.jpg 795w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/07/GettyImages-2286226821-1-300x217.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/07/GettyImages-2286226821-1-768x557.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/07/GettyImages-2286226821-1.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 795px) 100vw, 795px" /></a>Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche appears at his confirmation hearing in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee on Capitol Hill July 15, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)</div>
&#8220;Remember, both Cornyn and Tillis voted for Merrick Garland, and others, too numerous to mention,&#8221; Trump said in a Truth Social post. &#8220;I have no objection to temporarily withdrawing Todd’s name, if they do not do the right thing, and putting him back after Cornyn and Tillis are out of office.&#8221;
The president described Blanche as a &#8220;star&#8221; with the &#8220;potential to go down as one of the Greatest Attorney Generals of All Time.&#8221; Trump also criticized Cornyn and Tillis for refusing to vote for Blanche, saying he had destroyed their political careers.
Cornyn had threatened to derail Blanche&#8217;s nomination over the $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization” fund, a plan the DOJ said it had abandoned after pushback from lawmakers. On Wednesday, Cornyn told Punchbowl News that the DOJ&#8217;s written proposal did not satisfy his demands.
“They know what they need to do, but they simply refuse to do it,” Cornyn said, sharing that he had cancelled a scheduled meeting with Blanche.
After Clinton-appointed Judge Leonie Brinkema issued a temporary restraining order on the Anti-Weaponization Fund on May 29, Justice Department officials ultimately complied and dropped the matter.
“We are not moving forward with the fund, period,&#8221; Blanche testified at the time.
Trump tore into the Republicans who opposed the fund, telling the Daily Caller&#8217;s Reagan Reese from the Oval Office: “Well, Congress didn’t want it. You have to talk to Congress. The Republican senators, some of them, got very weak knees. They didn’t have the stomach for the fight.”

Jury Selection Continues In Former President Donald Trump’s New York Hush Money Trial

Trump Threatens To Pull Blanche Nomination Until Problematic GOP Senators Depart

Republicans

senate

Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) is holding up and threatening to derail Todd Blanche&#8217;s nomination as U.S. attorney general over a $1.8 billion &#8220;anti-weaponization&#8221; fund, which the Justice Department says it has no plans to pursue.
The Texas Republican, fresh off a bruising primary defeat, says Thursday&#8217;s Senate Judiciary Committee vote to advance Blanche&#8217;s nomination likely won&#8217;t happen without additional guarantees from the White House.
<a href="https://x.com/LauraEWeiss16/status/2082470661281177633?s=20">Punchbowl reported</a> Wednesday that the DOJ sent Cornyn a written proposal in an effort to satisfy his demands. It did not work. 
“They know what they need to do, but they simply refuse to do it,” Cornyn <a href="https://x.com/LauraEWeiss16/status/2082475546596757684?s=20">told</a> Punchbowl, announcing he called off his scheduled meeting with Blanche.
Ahead of that now-canceled meeting, Cornyn took to social media Tuesday to draw his line in the sand: “Fake news alert: there is no &#8216;deal&#8217; on Blanche nom. They know what they have to do,” Cornyn <a href="https://x.com/JohnCornyn/status/2082141659786051682?s=20">posted</a>.
Cornyn is working with Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC), who also serves on the Judiciary Committee, to secure additional commitments that the Justice Department will amend its settlement with President Trump to explicitly rule out a $1.8 billion &#8220;anti-weaponization&#8221; fund.
The controversy started in May, when Trump agreed to <a href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/media/1441086/dl?utm_medium=email&amp;utm_source=govdelivery">dismiss</a> his $10 billion lawsuit against the IRS in exchange for a formal apology and the creation of a new $1.776 billion Anti-Weaponization Fund, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-establishes-1-776b-fund-to-combat-deep-state-weaponization">The Daily Wire</a> reported. The program would&#8217;ve compensated people who say federal authorities unfairly targeted them under the Biden administration. A separate provision of the agreement also barred the IRS from pursuing certain tax claims against Trump, his family, and their businesses. 
Only a few weeks later, the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/how-the-gop-revolted-against-trumps-anti-weaponization-fund">Anti-Weaponization Fund was dead</a>. Clinton-appointed Judge Leonie Brinkema issued a temporary restraining order May 29, blocking the Justice Department from taking further action on the fund. Justice Department officials complied, and after tense meetings with Senate Republicans, acting Attorney General Blanche testified: “We are not moving forward with the fund, period.” 
President Trump blasted Republicans who opposed the agreement. 
“Well, Congress didn’t want it,” President Trump told The Daily Caller’s Reagan Reese from the Oval Office. “You have to talk to Congress. The Republican senators, some of them, got very weak knees. They didn’t have the stomach for the fight.”
The DOJ&#8217;s pledge to scrap the fund hasn&#8217;t satisfied Cornyn, who was supposed to meet with Blanche before Thursday&#8217;s committee vote. With all Democrats opposed, a single Republican vote against Blanche would effectively kill his nomination. 
“We need it in writing. We don’t need well-wishes or, you know, impressions,” he said, according to <a href="https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2026/07/28/congress/todd-blanche-judiciary-committee-delay-01013621?nname=playbook&amp;nid=0000014f-1646-d88f-a1cf-5f46b7bd0000&amp;nrid=5c65d8fa-b7c7-44e5-98d0-43e6086e71cd">Politico</a>. “We need concrete confirmation.”
Tillis has suggested to Politico that he is “pretty much following Cornyn’s cue.&#8221; 
Cornyn’s threat comes one week after he <a href="https://www.cornyn.senate.gov/news/cornyn-secures-commitment-from-trump-admin-to-release-pepfar-funds/">successfully threatened</a> to block two of President Donald Trump’s ambassadorial nominees unless the administration released more than $1 billion in foreign aid funding for Africa. 
A White House official previously told <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/john-cornyn-threatens-to-sink-trump-nominees-over-foreign-aid-cuts?author=Jacob+Wheeler&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=22&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=John+Cornyn+Threatens+To+Sink+Trump+Nominees+Over+Foreign+Aid+Cuts">The Daily Wire</a> that the Trump administration has strengthened President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) by providing clearer strategic direction, encouraging greater recipient-country ownership, and sharpening the program’s focus on measurable health outcomes.
The Trump-Cornyn clashes come just weeks after Cornyn suffered a decisive defeat in the GOP primary to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, despite spending months courting Trump&#8217;s endorsement.
“The only way it seems like you can get the administration’s attention on some of these funding issues is by using the leverage to withhold votes on nominees,” Cornyn told <a href="https://www.semafor.com/article/07/21/2026/cornyn-threatens-to-sink-trump-nominees-over-pepfar">Semafor</a>. “We are going to use the committee vote tomorrow as a way to … get the money distributed the way Congress appropriated it.”

Sen. John Cornyn

Senator Scorned By Trump Threatens To Hold AG Nominee Hostage Over Weaponization Fund

Attorney General

News

President Trump

texas

trump administration

U.S. Senate

Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) is reportedly threatening to block two of President Donald Trump’s ambassadorial nominees unless the administration releases more than $1 billion in foreign aid funding for Africa.
<a href="https://www.semafor.com/article/07/21/2026/cornyn-threatens-to-sink-trump-nominees-over-pepfar">Semafor reported</a> Tuesday that Cornyn plans to oppose the nominations of Kari Lake and Doug Mastriano unless the administration releases funding through the President&#8217;s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). 
The political maneuver comes as the Foreign Relations Committee is expected to consider Lake’s nomination on Wednesday. 
“The only way it seems like you can get the administration’s attention on some of these funding issues is by using the leverage to withhold votes on nominees,” Cornyn told Semafor. “We are going to use the committee vote tomorrow as a way to…. Get the money distributed the way Congress appropriated it.”
The committee is made up of 12 Republicans and 10 Democrats, meaning a single GOP defection is enough to block a nominee. Cornyn also hinted he may have company, telling the outlet, &#8220;I will not be alone.&#8221;
<a href="https://www.hiv.gov/federal-response/pepfar-global-aids/pepfar">PEPFAR,</a> launched by President George W. Bush in 2003, is the largest commitment by any nation to combat a single disease in history. 
Last year, the Trump administration overhauled the program, arguing that low-income countries receiving aid should assume a greater share of the financial responsibility for combating HIV. 
Cornyn argued the funding remains critical to saving lives and advancing U.S. interests in Africa. He wants $1.3 billion to be released immediately before voting for Trump’s nominees, according to the outlet. 
“This is one of the really important elements of our soft power too, because America needs friends in Africa,” Cornyn said. ‘So, not only is it the right thing to do from a compassionate point of view, it’s in our self-interest to make sure this money is used to promote American soft power and to make friends.” 
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A White House official told The Daily Wire that the Trump administration has strengthened PEPFAR by providing clearer strategic direction, encouraging greater recipient-country ownership, and sharpening the program&#8217;s focus on measurable health outcomes.
&#8220;As a result, the number of children testing positive for HIV and receiving treatment has continued to decline,&#8221; the official said.
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The standoff comes just weeks after Cornyn suffered a decisive GOP primary defeat to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton despite spending months trying to secure Trump&#8217;s endorsement. 
Cornyn&#8217;s defeat <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-backed-paxton-defeats-cornyn-in-texas-senate-clash">dealt a major blow</a> to Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD), who had repeatedly urged Trump to back the four-term senator and longtime fixture in GOP leadership. 
“Sen. Cornyn is a principled conservative. He is a very effective senator for the state of Texas, but none of us control what the president does,” Thune said of Trump’s 11th-hour endorsement. “That doesn’t change the way I feel.”
Cornyn was the latest incumbent — and second senator to fall — amid Trump’s campaign to purge Republicans he views as disloyal to his agenda. In recent months, the Trump endorsement has led to losses by Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY), Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA), and a handful of Indiana Republicans who bucked the president’s redistricting effort.
Editor&#8217;s note: This article has been updated with information from a White House official

John Cornyn Threatens To Sink Trump Nominees Over Foreign Aid Cuts

Africa

AIDS

congress

Kari Lake

Republican voters made a Texas-sized gamble last night in the Lone Star state, betting that even with the baggage he carries into a general election, Trump loyalist Attorney General Ken Paxton will be able to handle the threat from a strongly backed Democratic effort behind State Rep. James Talarico. We&#8217;ve heard the left’s dreams of turning Texas blue for decades, but even with his defects as a candidate and fundraiser, Paxton still enters the final contest as the favored candidate. The larger question is whether that gamble will cost Texans and Republicans in other races around the country.
As successful as he&#8217;s been politically — with a knack for surviving challenges, lawsuits, and even an impeachment — Paxton has never been an effective individual fundraiser. The biggest gap between him and incumbent Senator John Cornyn isn&#8217;t ideology or even loyalty to the president — it&#8217;s their capability to raise money in a state marketplace that demands it.
Cornyn&#8217;s campaign doomed his effort to hold on this cycle by squandering that money on television ads, poor staffing choices, and adopting a general Washington insider tone in a cycle of voter frustration — but they had plenty of money to dump into the effort. National Republicans are pissed off about the whole situation, understanding that they may now have to push money into a contest that wouldn&#8217;t have needed it if voters had decided differently. If their reluctance to spend big on yet another contest in a critical cycle holds and Paxton&#8217;s past is prologue, he&#8217;ll have to get a leg up from Texas donors called upon to grin and bear it about a candidate they&#8217;ve been reluctant to fund.
The concern among Texas Republican politicos is less about Talarico&#8217;s potential for victory, given his lengthy history of far-Left comments about everything under the sun, and more about the newly drawn redistricted map potentially netting fewer GOP victories than hoped for, given Paxton&#8217;s electoral appeal. While Cornyn and fellow Senator Ted Cruz have consistently held the line among Hispanic voters (in his Senate race, Cruz won Hispanic voters by 6 points over Colin Allred two years ago), Paxton has lagged. The latest polling has Talarico winning Hispanics in the state by almost 30 points, and such turnout from those voters in November could be a major drag on Republican congressional candidates down-ticket.
The fear in Washington is that Texas will now draw resources necessary to hold seats in Maine, North Carolina, and Ohio — potentially detracting from the strong GOP hopes of taking Senate seats in Michigan and Georgia. If Senate Majority Leader John Thune and National Republican Senatorial Committee Chairman Tim Scott decide to keep their focus on those five contests, Texas may be left on its own to get Paxton across the finish line.
The unpredictable element here is how much the national media will play in this contest. In the past, we&#8217;ve seen the national glow-ups for candidates like Beto O&#8217;Rourke totally backfire, turning a fairly middle-of-the-road El Paso Democrat into a progressive wet dream, the skateboard-riding bass player that made Austin swoon but who ultimately had no path to victory statewide. Will Talarico get the same treatment? He already is, though every interview he does betrays that his version of non-binary six gender abortion-loving Christianity is anathema in the Valley.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Texas state Rep. and Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico responded to GOP attacks over his past remark that God is “non-binary,” telling <a href="https://twitter.com/edokeefe?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@edokeefe</a> that some of his previous comments “missed the mark.”
“There are some statements that I’ve made that I certainly regret,”… <a href="https://t.co/VRsEXHo6ir">pic.twitter.com/VRsEXHo6ir</a>
— CBS News (@CBSNews) <a href="https://twitter.com/CBSNews/status/2059668066741445059?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 27, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Paxton is still the odds-on favorite. To a certain extent, the lengthy catalog of his failings is largely known to voters, while Talarico is still a fresh face who hasn&#8217;t confronted the scrutiny of running statewide in an old-school Texas knife fight. For Republicans who care about holding the Senate against a blue wave, they have hope that Paxton&#8217;s sins are already baked in, and that Talarico&#8217;s approach to running continues to look more like prep for his ideal next job — co-hosting a religion podcast for The New York Times.

Rep. Ken Paxton, and U.S. Senate candidate watch party

Voters Make A Texas-Sized Gamble On Ken Paxton

DW Opinion

Texas Elections

Texas voters on Tuesday voted overwhelmingly to move on from longtime incumbent senator John Cornyn (R-TX), handing the longtime incumbent a devastating defeat and delivering a sharp rebuke to the Republican establishment in Washington.
The race was called for Ken Paxton, who went into election day with the backing of President Donald Trump, immediately as the polls closed in Texas. Paxton, the state&#8217;s current attorney general, was ahead by 25 percentage points.
Paxton&#8217;s landslide victory deals a major blow to the Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD), who repeatedly urged Trump to back Cornyn, a four-term senator and longtime fixture in GOP leadership. Cornyn previously chaired the National Republican Senatorial Committee and served as Senate Majority Whip. 
“Sen. Cornyn is a principled conservative. He is a very effective senator for the state of Texas, but none of us control what the president does,” Thune said of Trump’s 11th-hour endorsement. “That doesn’t change the way I feel.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
Q: &#8220;How personally disappointed or frustrated are you with the president&#8217;s decision to endorse Ken Paxton today?&#8221;
.<a href="https://twitter.com/LeaderJohnThune?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@LeaderJohnThune</a>: &#8220;Sen. Cornyn is a principled conservative. He is a very effective senator for the state of Texas…None of us control what the president does.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/5QglYxRp1V">pic.twitter.com/5QglYxRp1V</a>
— CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/2056805960895590901?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 19, 2026</a></blockquote>
Cornyn is the latest incumbent — and second senator to fall — amid Trump’s campaign to purge Republicans he views as disloyal to his agenda. In recent weeks, the Trump endorsement has led to losses by Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY), Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA), and a handful of Indiana Republicans who bucked the president’s redistricting effort.
Paxton has emerged as a fierce MAGA firebrand on a range of issues, using his office to protect <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/exclusive-texas-ag-investigating-school-officials-who-said-theyd-break-the-law?row=0&amp;elementPosition=3&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;author=Tim+Rice&amp;title=EXCLUSIVE%3A+Texas+AG+Launches+Probe+Into+Schools+Scheming+To+Get+Boys+Onto+Girl+Sports+Teams&amp;category=News">women’s sports,</a> defend Texas A&amp;M’s <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/exclusive-texas-ag-to-defend-texas-am-over-decision-to-ban-campus-drag-shows?row=0&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;author=Leif+Le+Mahieu&amp;title=EXCLUSIVE%3A+Texas+AG+To+Defend+Texas+A%26M+Over+Decision+To+Ban+Campus+Drag+Shows&amp;category=News">decision</a> to ban a campus drag show, and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/texas-arrests-48-year-old-woman-for-performing-illegal-abortions-operating-fake-clinics?row=0&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;author=Leif+Le+Mahieu&amp;title=Texas+Arrests+48-Year-Old+Woman+For+Performing+Illegal+Abortions%2C+Operating+Fake+Clinics&amp;category=News">prosecute</a> a woman who performed illegal abortions.
With all eyes on Texas, Trump ended months of suspense last Tuesday and threw his political clout behind Paxton. 
“Ken is a true MAGA Warrior who has ALWAYS delivered for Texas, and will continue to do so in the United States Senate,” Trump said on <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/116602192066577324">Truth Social</a>. 
“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.
On the campaign trail, Paxton seized the moment. 
“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?”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
Texas AG &amp; U.S. Senate candidate Ken Paxton (R) speaks after receiving President Trump&#8217;s endorsement: &#8220;When he endorses, it has a tremendous impact…I think it creates a slight bit of momentum, don&#8217;t you?&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/cGFSrteLV4">pic.twitter.com/cGFSrteLV4</a>
— CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/2056783591925842382?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 19, 2026</a></blockquote>
When neither Paxton nor Cornyn surpassed the 50% threshold in the initial vote — triggering a runoff — both campaigns stepped up an intense jockeying for Trump’s support.
Paxton raised eyebrows for <a href="https://x.com/KenPaxtonTX/status/2029607496395239546?s=20">saying</a> he would consider dropping out of the race if the Senate passed the SAVE America Act.
&#8220;John Cornyn is a coward who has refused to support abolishing the filibuster to pass this bill,&#8221; Paxton said.
<a href="https://nypost.com/2026/03/11/opinion/sen-cornyn-why-the-save-act-matters-more-than-the-filibuster/">Cornyn wrote in a op-ed</a> 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 Senate’s failure to pass the SAVE America Act 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 endorsement. “Perhaps Ken can help move these important elements of Government forward…”
Turning Point Action backed Paxton, and the National Republican Senatorial Committee spent millions supporting Cornyn.
Some party leaders worry Paxton — who was nearly convicted on <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/texas-senate-votes-to-acquit-attorney-general-ken-paxton-of-all-charges">corruption-related impeachment charges</a> — could put a reliably Republican seat at risk. His wife filed for divorce in 2025, citing <a href="https://www.texastribune.org/2025/07/10/angela-paxton-divorce-texas-attorney-general-ken/">adultery on &#8220;biblical grounds.&#8221;</a>
In November, Paxton 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,” <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-roasts-texas-democrat-over-six-genders-and-vegan-flip-flop">Trump told reporters on Air Force One.</a> “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.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
NEW AD:
Low T Talarico is too WEAK and WEIRD for Texas. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TXsen?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TXsen</a> <a href="https://t.co/B6wL7pto4S">pic.twitter.com/B6wL7pto4S</a>
— Lone Star Liberty PAC (@LoneStar_PAC) <a href="https://twitter.com/LoneStar_PAC/status/2057531828085350738?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 21, 2026</a></blockquote>
Further down the Texas runoff ballot, Chip Roy, another Republican incumbent opposed by Donald Trump, was also defeated in his run for attorney general. Trump allies had blasted Roy in the final days of the campaign as &#8220;one of the most anti-Trump congressmen in the country.&#8221;
The winner, Mayes Middleton, had branded himself &#8220;MAGA Mayes&#8221; on the campaign trail and ran pledging to fight for Trump&#8217;s agenda if elected.
And in a final cherry on top for Trump from Tuesday night&#8217;s results, Democrat Al Green, who notably was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/deported-dem-rep-al-green-booted-from-trump-address-to-congress">removed from the chamber</a> for shouting down Trump&#8217;s State of the Union address, also fell to a primary challenge.

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Trump-Backed Paxton Blows Out Cornyn In Texas Senate Showdown

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