Senate Republicans rarely break with President Donald Trump, typically skirting any daily controversies by keeping silent or reserving judgment.
But when Trump announced Tuesday afternoon that he was endorsing Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton over Sen. John Cornyn, Senate Republicans were quick to express their dissatisfaction.
It only took minutes for both Sens. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, and Susan Collins, R-Maine, to tell reporters they were “disappointed” by the president’s endorsement.
“Maybe he thinks that with the strength of a Trump endorsement Paxton can win,” Murkowski said. “I think that this puts the seat in jeopardy.”
“I’m disappointed that he did it,” Collins said.
During a Senate GOP lunch on Tuesday, Punchbowl news reported that Murkowski told her Republican colleagues Trump was “not making it easy for us,” as he has withheld support from various incumbents and endorsed “ethically challenged” candidates like Paxton, who has faced a series of high-profile ethical, legal and political challenges throughout his tenure as Texas attorney general.
While Senate Republicans have stuck with Trump on a myriad of issues and scandals, the Paxton endorsement was a rare disagreement.
Asked about the endorsement, Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., remained silent. Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D., told reporters, “Obviously I support Sen. Cornyn.”
“I had hoped he would support or endorse Sen. Cornyn,” Hoeven said of Trump.
Throughout the Texas primary, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., has maintained his support for Cornyn. And when he heard that Trump was suddenly backing Paxton, even Thune, who has strenuously avoided breaking with the president, could not mask his frustration.
“None of us control what the president does,” Thune told reporters. “He made his decision about that. That doesn’t change the way I feel.”
Explicitly asked about his frustration, Thune said everyone knew “my position on this issue.”
“Sen. Cornyn is a principled conservative. He is a very effective senator for the state of Texas,” he said.
And when Thune was pressed on how much harder Trump had just made his efforts to keep the Senate majority, given concerns about Paxton’s past legal problems, Thune noted that Republicans have 24 seats up this cycle and Democrats only have to defend nine.
“We care about seeing our incumbents succeed,” Thune said.
Thune added that Trump didn’t give him any advance warning about his endorsement.
“I found out, I think, where everybody else did,” Thune said.
Trump’s endorsement of Paxton comes as the president has tested GOP lawmakers on several fronts. Just this week, the Trump administration signaled its intention to set up a nearly $1.8 billion fund to pay people whom the president has determined have suffered from unfair prosecutions — like Jan. 6 insurrectionists. And Republicans have consistently been forced to defend Trump’s war with Iran, which has dragged into its 12th week and has dramatically increased gas prices.
Trump has also continued to push for congressional funding for his unauthorized ballroom while also recently breaking ground on an unauthorized arch near the Lincoln Memorial.
All the while, Senate Republicans have seldom broken from the president.
The Texas Senate race is already the most expensive primary — and runoff — in American history, with more than $125 million already spent before the March primary election.
But Cornyn has long been the money favorite in the contest. Throughout the campaign, Cornyn has been aided by the Senate GOP’s main campaign arm in calling out Paxton. And federal campaign finance records up to May 6 show Cornyn’s main campaign account had brought in more than $13 million and spent over $10 million.
Paxton’s effort, lacking the early start and incumbency advantage, had managed to raise around $7.6 million and spend a little more than $5 million up to that same filing period. Meanwhile, Democratic nominee James Talarico, who narrowly avoided a runoff with Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, in March, had already raised more than $40 million, according to an Federal Election Commission filing at the end of March, and he had more than $9 million in cash on hand.
Recommended
Not only is the race between Cornyn and Paxton already the most expensive primary in history, it’s also the most expensive runoff ever. Now, some Republicans think the race will cost the GOP even more to keep the Senate seat red — and Trump’s move likely has made the race more competitive.
“I’d be a rocket scientist to figure out the pathway for Paxton is there, because it’s more uphill and it will cost,” Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said. “I think we’ll win Texas. It’s just more … going to be more costly.”
Trump teased an endorsement in the race following the March primary, which sent Paxton and Cornyn into a runoff. But he ultimately decided to hold off on publicly pledging his support — that is, until Tuesday.
The endorsement came just days after Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., was overwhelmingly defeated in his primary race after Trump endorsed his challenger, Rep. Julia Letlow, who advanced to a primary runoff with Louisiana Treasurer John Fleming, a former Trump staffer and representative.
“Ken is a true MAGA Warrior who has ALWAYS delivered for Texas, and will continue to do so in the United States Senate,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
“John was very late in backing me in what turned out to be a Historic Run for the Republican Nomination, and then, the Presidency, itself,” he continued.
“He was not supportive of me when times were tough,” Trump said.
Following Trump’s endorsement, Cornyn defended his loyalty to the president in a statement on X.
“I have worked closely with President Trump through both of his Presidential terms and voted with him more than 99% of the time. He has consistently called me a friend in this race,” Cornyn wrote. “It is now time for Texas Republican voters to decide if they want a strong nominee to help our GOP candidates down ballot and defeat Talarico in November, or a weak nominee who jeopardizes everything we care about. I trust the Republican voters of Texas.”
Many in the Republican conference have agreed with Cornyn that he has been a loyal Trump supporter.
“I don’t know what you can complain about on John Cornyn,” Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kan., told Semafor.
“Probably no senator that has done more to support other Republican senators,” Moran added. “And I don’t know anything that he’s done that’s offensive in a significant way to the president.”
Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., said, despite Trump’s endorsement for Paxton, “We’ve been focused on John Cornyn, and most of us are still hoping that John Cornyn can pull this out.”
“He’s very well respected in our conference, and, you know, that has not changed,” Rounds said.
Meanwhile, Democrats see the endorsement as yet another sign that they can flip this Senate seat.
“Look, Texas is a huge mess for the Republicans, and I believe that we’re in much better shape taking back Texas than we were a few days ago,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said Tuesday.
Hunter Woodall contributed to this report.
Lillie Boudreaux
Peggy Helman is a desk associate at MS NOW.