Trump Signals Imminent Endorsement In Texas GOP Senate Runoff

President Donald Trump signaled this week that he will soon issue an endorsement in the high-stakes Texas Republican Senate primary runoff, a move that could dramatically reshape the race between incumbent Sen. John Cornyn and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump said he plans to announce his endorsement soon and urged the candidate who does not receive it to step aside to unify the party ahead of the general election.

“I will be making my Endorsement soon,” Trump wrote. He added that the candidate he does not back should “DROP OUT OF THE RACE” so Republicans can “TOTALLY FOCUS” on defeating the Democratic nominee.

The statement comes as the Texas primary heads toward what is expected to be a bruising runoff. Cornyn finished the initial round of voting ahead of Paxton, leading by roughly 25,000 votes with more than 95 percent of ballots counted. However, neither candidate secured the majority required to avoid a second round, setting up a competitive 12-week showdown.

Behind the scenes, several Senate Republicans and major donors are urging Trump to move quickly, and many are lobbying for Cornyn.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) told reporters he hopes the endorsement comes soon, saying he personally made the case to the president. Other Republicans have echoed that message, warning that a drawn-out primary battle could weaken the eventual nominee and provide Democrats with an opening in November.

Some party operatives fear the fight could burn through more than $100 million in Republican donor money. Democrats have already consolidated behind their nominee, state Rep. James Talarico, who secured his party’s nomination outright.  

Several GOP senators have argued that Cornyn would be the stronger general election candidate.

Sen. Katie Britt (R-AL) told POLITICO that Cornyn is “without a doubt the candidate to win in November,” while also acknowledging the political weight of a Trump endorsement in Republican primaries.

Similarly, Sen. John Barrasso (R-WY) argued the party should rally behind Cornyn to protect the seat. “We need to hold that seat which means we need to nominate someone who is going to win in November,” Barrasso said.

Despite the mounting pressure, Paxton has signaled he has no intention of leaving the race regardless of Trump’s decision.

In an interview on Wednesday, Paxton argued that Cornyn has failed to represent the state’s conservative base. “I owe it to the people of Texas,” Paxton said. “I’ve spent a year campaigning against John Cornyn because John has not represented the people of Texas well.”

Paxton doubled down on that stance in a post on X Thursday, tying his candidacy to Trump’s legislative agenda and the proposed SAVE America Act. He said he would consider stepping aside only if Senate leadership agreed to eliminate the filibuster and pass the legislation, while accusing Cornyn of refusing to support abolishing the filibuster to advance it. 

Paxton further defended his loyalty to the president, citing his support for Trump’s efforts to challenge the results of the 2020 United States presidential election and his presence at Mar-a-Lago during Trump’s 2024 campaign launch.

While Trump has not yet publicly revealed whom he will support, many Republicans in Washington believe momentum is shifting toward Cornyn following his stronger-than-expected showing in the first round of voting.

Still, the final decision could determine whether the Texas GOP faces a prolonged and expensive intra-party battle or quickly coalesces around a nominee ahead of the general election.