Cornyn and Paxton to face each other in the great Texas Trump-off
Confidence requires clarity.
The May 26 runoff election between Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton could be the most consequential Republican primary since the Tea Party era.
This race pits a 63-year-old conservative upstart Vox called “MAGA’s top lawyer” against a 74-year-old four-term incumbent who was, for most of his career, viewed as an old-guard establishment figure.
The contest has all the features of past Republican royal rumbles: purity versus pragmatism, baggage versus boredom, enthusiasm versus electability, and appeals to President Donald Trump.
SEN. CORNYN: KEN PAXTON’S DEAFENING SILENCE ON GROWING ANTISEMITISM
It also tests Trump’s iron grip on the GOP, as Paxton’s case against Cornyn rests heavily on the senator’s alleged insufficient fealty to MAGA. But there have been persistent rumblings that Trump will throw his support behind Cornyn anyway because Republican insiders view him as a stronger general election candidate and don’t want to put the Senate in play this November.
While stopping short of tipping his hand, Trump has gone so far as to say the candidate he doesn’t endorse should drop out.
Paxton said on social media that he “would consider dropping out of this race if Senate Leadership agrees to lift the filibuster and [pass] the SAVE America Act,” an election integrity measure backed by most Republicans on Capitol Hill but that stalled in the Senate.
“John Cornyn is a coward who has refused to support abolishing the filibuster to pass this bill,” he added. “Now, Fake News reporters and the establishment are trying to destroy me with misinformation.”
Cornyn shot back on Saturday that he would support the use of the “talking filibuster” to pass this bill. “Contrary to fake news in the twitterverse: I have supported the Save America Act from day one,” he wrote on X. “I will happily support the ‘talking filibuster’ if that’s what it takes to pass this into law.” He tagged Trump in the post.
The senator hasn’t been shy about attacking Paxton either. “Over the next 12 weeks, Texas Republican primary voters will hear more about my record of delivering conservative victories in the United States Senate, and learn more about Ken’s indefensible personal behavior and failures in office,” he told reporters after narrowly finishing first in the initial round of voting. “Just like the primary, we have a plan to win the runoff, and we are in the process of executing it. Judgment day is coming for Ken Paxton.”
WHAT’S STILL MISSING FROM …
Confidence requires clarity.
The May 26 runoff election between Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton could be the most consequential Republican primary since the Tea Party era.
This race pits a 63-year-old conservative upstart Vox called “MAGA’s top lawyer” against a 74-year-old four-term incumbent who was, for most of his career, viewed as an old-guard establishment figure.
The contest has all the features of past Republican royal rumbles: purity versus pragmatism, baggage versus boredom, enthusiasm versus electability, and appeals to President Donald Trump.
SEN. CORNYN: KEN PAXTON’S DEAFENING SILENCE ON GROWING ANTISEMITISM
It also tests Trump’s iron grip on the GOP, as Paxton’s case against Cornyn rests heavily on the senator’s alleged insufficient fealty to MAGA. But there have been persistent rumblings that Trump will throw his support behind Cornyn anyway because Republican insiders view him as a stronger general election candidate and don’t want to put the Senate in play this November.
While stopping short of tipping his hand, Trump has gone so far as to say the candidate he doesn’t endorse should drop out.
Paxton said on social media that he “would consider dropping out of this race if Senate Leadership agrees to lift the filibuster and [pass] the SAVE America Act,” an election integrity measure backed by most Republicans on Capitol Hill but that stalled in the Senate.
“John Cornyn is a coward who has refused to support abolishing the filibuster to pass this bill,” he added. “Now, Fake News reporters and the establishment are trying to destroy me with misinformation.”
Cornyn shot back on Saturday that he would support the use of the “talking filibuster” to pass this bill. “Contrary to fake news in the twitterverse: I have supported the Save America Act from day one,” he wrote on X. “I will happily support the ‘talking filibuster’ if that’s what it takes to pass this into law.” He tagged Trump in the post.
The senator hasn’t been shy about attacking Paxton either. “Over the next 12 weeks, Texas Republican primary voters will hear more about my record of delivering conservative victories in the United States Senate, and learn more about Ken’s indefensible personal behavior and failures in office,” he told reporters after narrowly finishing first in the initial round of voting. “Just like the primary, we have a plan to win the runoff, and we are in the process of executing it. Judgment day is coming for Ken Paxton.”
WHAT’S STILL MISSING FROM …
Cornyn and Paxton to face each other in the great Texas Trump-off
Confidence requires clarity.
The May 26 runoff election between Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton could be the most consequential Republican primary since the Tea Party era.
This race pits a 63-year-old conservative upstart Vox called “MAGA’s top lawyer” against a 74-year-old four-term incumbent who was, for most of his career, viewed as an old-guard establishment figure.
The contest has all the features of past Republican royal rumbles: purity versus pragmatism, baggage versus boredom, enthusiasm versus electability, and appeals to President Donald Trump.
SEN. CORNYN: KEN PAXTON’S DEAFENING SILENCE ON GROWING ANTISEMITISM
It also tests Trump’s iron grip on the GOP, as Paxton’s case against Cornyn rests heavily on the senator’s alleged insufficient fealty to MAGA. But there have been persistent rumblings that Trump will throw his support behind Cornyn anyway because Republican insiders view him as a stronger general election candidate and don’t want to put the Senate in play this November.
While stopping short of tipping his hand, Trump has gone so far as to say the candidate he doesn’t endorse should drop out.
Paxton said on social media that he “would consider dropping out of this race if Senate Leadership agrees to lift the filibuster and [pass] the SAVE America Act,” an election integrity measure backed by most Republicans on Capitol Hill but that stalled in the Senate.
“John Cornyn is a coward who has refused to support abolishing the filibuster to pass this bill,” he added. “Now, Fake News reporters and the establishment are trying to destroy me with misinformation.”
Cornyn shot back on Saturday that he would support the use of the “talking filibuster” to pass this bill. “Contrary to fake news in the twitterverse: I have supported the Save America Act from day one,” he wrote on X. “I will happily support the ‘talking filibuster’ if that’s what it takes to pass this into law.” He tagged Trump in the post.
The senator hasn’t been shy about attacking Paxton either. “Over the next 12 weeks, Texas Republican primary voters will hear more about my record of delivering conservative victories in the United States Senate, and learn more about Ken’s indefensible personal behavior and failures in office,” he told reporters after narrowly finishing first in the initial round of voting. “Just like the primary, we have a plan to win the runoff, and we are in the process of executing it. Judgment day is coming for Ken Paxton.”
WHAT’S STILL MISSING FROM …
