Time to put on our Susan Collins Is Very Concerned faces.
Still a crook any way you look
President Donald Trump’s last-minute endorsement of Ken Paxton in the Texas Senate primary set off panic among Republicans who worry that keeping the seat will now be a more expensive and potentially futile endeavor.
By endorsing Paxton over Sen. John Cornyn, Trump rejected the pleas of GOP leaders in Congress who for months had pushed Trump to back a proven winner in the Lone Star State. Now with Trump in his corner, Paxton is well situated to win the primary runoff next week and face Democratic nominee James Talarico in the general election — a matchup Democrats have dreamed of for months.
Trump’s long-awaited announcement was met with shock and dismay among Republicans on Capitol Hill.
Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) said she was “supremely disappointed” by Trump’s decision, which she said “puts that seat in jeopardy.”
“How does that help strengthen the president’s hand? I mean, we lose a state like Texas?” she asked rhetorically.
Paxton has dealt with a litany of personal and political problems, including a federal securities fraud investigation and ongoing divorce. He is “an ethically challenged individual,” said Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), adding that Cornyn “deserved the president’s support.”
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, who spent months lobbying the president to back Cornyn, was tight-lipped in the moments after Trump named his pick: “It’s his decision.” He later vowed to “continue to be supportive of Senator Cornyn and his reelection.”
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Talarico, in a statement, said “it doesn’t matter who wins this runoff,” and blamed both Cornyn and Paxton for enriching “wealthy donors while costs skyrocket for the rest of us.”
Trump was ultimately swayed by Paxton’s loyalty — standing by Trump’s side during defining moments of his political career. As Texas’ attorney general, Paxton supported Trump’s quest to overturn the 2020 election results and was one of the first Republicans to support his second reelection bid.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump described Paxton as “someone who has been very loyal to me.” Paxton said he was “incredibly honored” to receive the endorsement.
Cornyn, in response, said Texas GOP voters must now 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.”
Trump’s decision ignited some outrage in his broader political orbit. One senior Senate Republican operative, granted anonymity to speak freely, expressed frustration at the White House.
“He’s fucked us in the sense that that that now we’re going to have to spend money to keep this seat,” said the operative, estimating it may cost the party $100 million more to maintain GOP control.
Polling until this point showed the primary race within the margin of error, but many Texas Republicans believe that Trump’s backing will easily be enough to get Paxton over the line. Paxton has managed to stay competitive despite national Republicans spending millions on Cornyn’s behalf.
A poll commissioned by the Democratic-aligned gun safety group Giffords, conducted in early May before Trump’s endorsement and shared first with POLITICO, showed Paxton with a double-digit lead, 52 percent to 40 percent.
Some Cornyn allies insist Trump’s endorsement came too late in the race to make a significant difference, pointing to the incumbent’s fundraising advantage and his strong get-out-the-vote operation as his path to victory.
“The endorsement would’ve made a difference two weeks ago,” said one longtime Texas Republican operative who backs Cornyn who was granted anonymity to speak candidly about the effect of Trump’s endorsement. “Cornyn has the more sophisticated GOTV operation. Paxton has a strong base, but he already hit his ceiling.”
But some Republicans concede that nominating Paxton gives an edge to Democrats, who have been salivating for months at the prospect of going toe-to-toe with an attorney general who has long been dogged by controversy.
“Democrats now have a better chance to get the matchup they want,” said Vinny Minchillo, a Texas Republican consultant. “I do think we ultimately hold the seat.”
See here for the background. I mean, look. I’ll give Sen. Murkowski a bit of grace here, but the rest of them, we all know that as soon as the runoff is over they’re going to fall in line. No one will say or do anything to make their Mad King Daddy angry. My main hope, beyond a Talarico win that comes with some coattails, is that they all fight each other enough to be miserable all the time.
Crank up the world’s smallest violin…