Trump Endorses Paxton Over Cornyn: Texas Senate Runoff 2026 Could Break the GOP

# Trump Endorses Paxton Over Cornyn: Texas Senate Runoff 2026 Could Break the GOP

> **Quick answer:** President Trump endorsed Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton over 22-year Senate veteran John Cornyn on May 19, 2026 — one week before the May 26 Republican runoff. Pre-endorsement polling already had Paxton up 48-45%; a Trump backing was modeled to push it to 55-35%. Cornyn is McConnell's former right-hand man. Paxton is impeached, acquitted, and scandal-scarred. The choice between them is a referendum on what the Republican Party is now.

Trump's endorsement of Ken Paxton over John Cornyn in the Texas Senate runoff 2026 lands like a grenade in the last week of early voting. With the May 26 runoff six days away, this is the most consequential intra-party move Trump has made since Indiana — and it could end a two-decade Senate career before the week is out.

## What Happened: Trump Backs Paxton at the Last Possible Moment

Trump had promised for months to weigh in on the Texas Senate race. He waited until May 19 — the day after early voting began — to do it.

His endorsement, posted to Truth Social, was blunt: "Ken is a true MAGA Warrior who has ALWAYS delivered for Texas, and will continue to do so in the United States Senate."