Advisers Say President Trump Will Endorse Senator John Cornyn in Texas May 26 Republican Runoff

Advisers told reporters that President Trump will endorse Senator John Cornyn in the May 26 Texas Republican runoff, with Trump aides pointing to Cornyn’s voting record — which they say aligns closely with the president’s agenda — as a key reason for the likely endorsement; advisers have been working to facilitate communication between Trump and Cornyn even as Trump publicly expressed personal liking for Representative Wesley Hunt and hesitated to weigh in against him.

In the Atlantic’s reporting, this dynamic explains why an endorsement is forthcoming despite Trump’s past tensions with Cornyn, and why campaign operatives see Cornyn as the more general-election-ready nominee.

The Atlantic

Paxton’s significant personal and political baggage was highlighted repeatedly: he was impeached by the Texas House in May 2023 on charges including bribery, abuse of the public trust, and obstruction of justice, and though later acquitted by the Texas Senate he faces continuing reputational damage — including a 2025 divorce filing by his wife citing “biblical grounds” and “recent discoveries” — which opponents have exploited in the runoff, as shown by a recent pro-Cornyn ad labeling Paxton “the wife cheater and fraud.”

Polling and strategist commentary shape the electability argument: a mid-January Emerson poll cited by the reporting found Cornyn slightly stronger in a hypothetical matchup with Democrat Talarico (by about three points) while Paxton was shown as drawing even, and veteran Republican strategist Steven Law (former head of the Senate Leadership Fund) told the Atlantic that Cornyn as the nominee would make it much harder for Democrats to regain Senate control because Republicans could focus on Talarico’s views rather than Paxton’s problems; pro-Paxton operatives counter that Paxton remains more popular with the MAGA base, complicating how the runoff outcome is read for November.

Runoff mechanics and campaign strategy are central: operatives warn that runoff electorates are substantially more conservative than general-election voters, that Paxton performed far better than expected given his underdog spending position (reportedly outspent 10-1), and that Cornyn’s past friction with Trump complicates messaging even as outside groups and advisers prepare for an intense runoff; the Atlantic quotes LaCivita, working for an independent Cornyn-supporting group, warning Paxton and his consultant Jeff Roe that “the second wave is going to be a bitch,” underscoring an aggressive next phase of the campaign.

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The Atlantic