John Cornyn Appeals To Trump As He Faces Primary Headwinds

15 hours ago

President Donald Trump has a Texas-sized conundrum connected his hands arsenic Republicans hole for a Senate superior successful nan state, pinch GOP Sen. John Cornyn making his lawsuit for nan White House to get progressive arsenic he tries to fend disconnected a situation from authorities Attorney General Ken Paxton.

But, truthful far, Trump is staying connected nan sidelines.

“I’ve talked to him astir it a number of times. He is not fresh to make that endorsement,” Cornyn told NBC News connected Tuesday. “I deliberation arsenic we commencement advertizing and closing nan spread successful nan polls, hopefully he’ll spot fresh to make that endorsement, but we can’t wait.”

“I pointed retired to him, and he knows this, that if he endorsed me, nan title would beryllium over,” Cornyn later added.

But Cornyn is struggling successful caller superior polling, arsenic Paxton has sounded himself arsenic nan existent exemplar of nan party’s MAGA wing. Some Republicans are concerned that Paxton — a blimpish firebrand pinch nary shortage of individual controversies, including immoderate that led to an impeachment push by a number of chap Republicans successful 2023 — could beryllium a problematic wide predetermination campaigner who would unit nationalist Republicans to walk millions to take sides nan longtime reddish seat.

Those concerns won’t fto up pinch nan latest information of fundraising figures, released Tuesday night. Paxton lapped nan legislator successful nonstop fundraising to their campaigns, though Cornyn’s full governmental cognition raised a important sum.

The title came up astatine a White House gathering past week betwixt Trump, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, staffers pinch nan Thune-aligned ace PAC Senate Leadership Fund, and different erstwhile Trump run staffers. A root pinch knowledge of nan gathering said nan group agreed that Cornyn and friends request to attraction complete nan summertime connected improving nan incumbent’s canvass numbers. Thune told NBC News that nan gathering “covered a full scope of races astir nan country” but declined to spell into detail.

Paxton’s squad has besides been successful touch pinch nan White House governmental squad and sharing polling data, according to a root adjacent to his campaign.

In nationalist surveys, nan University of Texas astatine Tyler recovered Paxton starring Cornyn by a separator of 44%-34%, while Texas Southern University recovered Paxton starring 43%-34%. Both polls recovered astir a 4th of voters undecided. Other private polls by outside groups pinch tegument successful nan game person shown Paxton pinch an moreover larger lead.

This is acold from nan first clip Cornyn, a 40-year seasoned of elected authorities successful nan state, has faced issues connected his correct flank. His astir caller situation came successful 2014, erstwhile he won 59% of nan GOP superior vote.

But it whitethorn beryllium nan astir superior threat of his Senate career. Cornyn finds himself not only successful a changed nationalist statement remade by Trump but successful nan mediate of a civilian warfare successful his authorities betwixt nan constitution and nan blimpish forces that fueled nan emergence of Sen. Ted Cruz and different beverage statement Republicans, led to turmoil successful nan authorities legislature and contributed to nan impeachment push against and consequent acquittal of Paxton.

“We’re successful nan time and property of: The Republican Party is Trump’s party. And Paxton has done a very bully occupation of being very outfront, being very vocal, being a beardown defender of Trump, which voters — that’s nan lens that they look done and measure candidates by,” said Matt Langston, a Republican strategist successful nan authorities who is not progressive successful nan race.

Primary picks up

Paxton was speedy to mobility Cornyn’s Trump connections and his blimpish chops erstwhile he launched his campaign.

In 2023, Cornyn responded to nan allegations that Trump mishandled classified documents by telling a section news reporter that “he’s created a condition for himself which is, I think, very serious.” That aforesaid year, Cornyn responded to nan civilian verdict uncovering Trump liable for intersexual abuse by saying “I do not deliberation he could triumph nan presidency” because “electability is … nan sole criterion.”

Cornyn’s opponents person besides criticized his past votes connected immoderate weapon power and migration bills.

It’s why Cornyn has spent nan months portraying himself arsenic a staunch protagonist of Trump. In March, he posted a photograph of him reference Trump’s book connected societal media. His pinned image connected X is simply a photograph of him pinch Trump. And his run regularly touts his record of voting for Trump’s priorities successful nan Senate. Cornyn co-chaired a Senate Judiciary Committee proceeding past period delving into questions astir erstwhile President Joe Biden’s fittingness for office.

“I deliberation we request to punctual group of my support for President Trump and his agenda, which is astir a 99.2% voting grounds pinch his first word and now successful his 2nd term,” Cornyn told NBC News, referencing a memo from his Senate agency that elaborate much than 600 of Cornyn’s votes since 2017. That memo besides touted Cornyn’s activity to support Trump’s Supreme Court and different judicial nominees, nan 2017 taxation cuts and nan U.S.-Mexico-Canada waste and acquisition agreement.

On Wednesday, a pro-Cornyn ace PAC, Texans for a Conservative Majority, launched a tv advertisement run crossed nan state, according to nan ad-tracking patient AdImpact.

“Meet nan man who votes pinch President Trump complete 99% of nan time,” a narrator says successful nan group’s first TV ad, which besides features footage of Trump praising Cornyn astatine a rally.

Chris LaCivita, a erstwhile apical Trump run official, is moving pinch nan ace PAC arsenic its elder adviser, according to 3 group acquainted pinch Cornyn’s campaign. Tony Fabrizio, a apical Trump pollster, is moving straight pinch Cornyn’s campaign.

Paxton’s vulnerabilities

While Paxton has been trying to lob bombs astatine Cornyn from his correct flank, Cornyn and his squad are fresh to utilization nan lawyer general’s aggregate controversies.

“The baggage that my force would bring into nan predetermination would make it apt that we would suffer that spot to a Democrat if he were nan nominee. So I’m not going to fto that happen,” Cornyn said.

Paxton was indicted connected securities fraud charges successful 2015 and eventually reached a woody to debar a trial. But related allegations — positive accusations including bribery and misuse of his agency — led nan GOP-controlled authorities House to impeach him successful 2023, though nan state Senate acquitted him.

Prosecuting Paxton connected ethical grounds will beryllium a centerpiece of Cornyn’s campaign. He blasted Paxton’s bid arsenic a “con man’s vanity project” and launched a “Crooked Ken” website detailing nan impeachment and allegations of fornication that stemmed from that investigation.

Paxton’s pending divorcement from wife, authorities Sen. Angela Paxton, brought those allegations backmost into nan spotlight. Angela Paxton posted connected X past week that she “filed for divorcement connected biblical grounds…in ray of caller discoveries.”

The time of Paxton’s divorcement announcement was his campaign’s second-largest small-dollar fundraising time since his launch, according to a personification adjacent to nan Paxton campaign.

But Paxton’s friends spot those controversies arsenic fueling his estimation arsenic a combatant among grassroots Republicans.

“Ken has a beardown 40, 45% of MAGA voters that won’t time off him,” said Paxton advisor Nick Maddux. “They’ve seen him fight, they’ve seen him successful nan tests and they for illustration what he’s done. And Cornyn’s ne'er done that. He doesn’t person a difficult guidelines of support.”

Paxton’s run besides raised $2.9 cardinal from April done June, ending nan 4th pinch $2.5 cardinal successful its run account. Cornyn’s run raised $804,000 and ended nan 4th pinch $5.9 cardinal connected hand, while his associated fundraising committee raised $3.1 cardinal and had $2.7 cardinal connected hand.

The Cornyn campaign’s haul marked its second-worst 4th complete nan senator’s past 2 predetermination cycles connected nan ballot (2020 and 2014). But nan run dismissed immoderate concerns astir his fundraising.

“Senator Cornyn is simply a very beardown fundraiser, ever has been and will proceed to be,” said Cornyn run elder advisor Matt Mackowiack, who said focusing connected nan associated fundraising committee was a “strategic” move to beryllium capable to entree little tv advertisement rates.

A increasing field?

While Cornyn and Paxton battle, it is imaginable nan superior section could grow.

Rep. Wesley Hunt told NBC News precocious past period he still hasn’t made a determination astir whether to tally for Senate, but nan two-term Republican notes he hasn’t seen a canvass showing Cornyn tin hit Paxton successful a primary.

Asked if that’s a interest successful Texas, he told NBC News: “It should be.”

Hunt’s House run committee precocious launched a cablegram advertisement bargain that reaches beyond his Houston-area district, into nan Dallas and San Antonio media markets, according AdImpact. Hunt besides shared a minute-long spot that features Trump praising him, and a pro-Hunt extracurricular group, Standing for Texas, has besides spent much than $2 cardinal truthful acold connected ads boosting him astir nan state.

GOP Rep. Ronny Jackson besides told NBC News this week that he has not ruled retired moving for Senate and he is going to “keep my powder barren correct now.”

“A batch of group deliberation Ken Paxton mightiness person problem successful nan general,” Jackson said, noting location are concerns among Republicans that a competitory Texas title would propulsion resources from different battleground states.

That interest is partially why Senate Republican leaders, including Thune and National Republican Senatorial Committee Chairman Tim Scott, are backing Cornyn.

“We request an electable campaigner that tin triumph not conscionable a primary, but a general, and we judge there’s a way location for Cornyn to triumph both,” Thune precocious told NBC News.

Democrats person agelong sought to move Texas blue, but they person not been capable to build connected a constrictive nonaccomplishment to Cruz successful 2018. Trump won Texas by 8 percent points past year, while Cruz defeated erstwhile Democratic Rep. Colin Allred astir 9 points. Allred recently launched different run for Senate.

Langston, nan GOP strategist, didn’t bargain nan statement that Paxton would put nan spot astatine consequence if he is nan nominee, fixed nan state’s reddish hue.

“You would person to person almost 100% of registered Democrats coming retired to vote, positive a bully 10 aliases 12% of Republicans crossing over,” he said. “It’s conscionable ne'er going to happen.”