Paxton PAC Runs TV Ads in Palm Beach as Trump Visits Mar-a-Lago

The ads accuse Paxton's opponent, Rep. John Cornyn, of betraying Trump as the former president weighs an endorsement.

Mar. 15, 2026 at 12:52pm

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A super PAC supporting Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton's Senate campaign is airing television ads in Palm Beach, Florida, where former President Trump is spending the weekend at his Mar-a-Lago resort. The ads accuse Paxton's opponent, Rep. John Cornyn, of betraying Trump by voting to confirm Merrick Garland and Lisa Monaco. The move comes as Trump is reportedly still deciding whether to endorse a candidate in the competitive Republican primary runoff.

Why it matters

Trump's endorsement could be crucial in the closely watched Senate race, and the Paxton-supporting PAC is trying to sway the former president by attacking Cornyn's loyalty. The ad buy in Palm Beach suggests the PAC is hoping to catch Trump's attention while he is at his Florida resort.

The details

Lone Star Liberty PAC, a super PAC backing Paxton, released a new one-minute TV ad on Friday that accuses Cornyn of 'betraying' Trump by voting to confirm Merrick Garland as U.S. Attorney General and Lisa Monaco as Deputy Attorney General in 2021. The ad concludes with a clip of Cornyn telling an NBC News reporter to 'go away'.

  • The ad was released on Friday, March 15, 2026.
  • Trump is currently spending the weekend at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida.

The players

Ken Paxton

The Texas Attorney General and Republican candidate for U.S. Senate.

John Cornyn

The U.S. Representative for Texas's 21st congressional district and Paxton's opponent in the Republican Senate primary runoff.

Donald Trump

The former President of the United States, who is currently staying at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida and has not yet endorsed a candidate in the Texas Senate race.

Lone Star Liberty PAC

A super PAC supporting Ken Paxton's Senate campaign that is running the TV ads in Palm Beach.

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What they’re saying

“A lot has to do with the SAVE America Act. A lot is going to determine — Republicans have to get that passed, because that will secure voting in this country.”

— Donald Trump (NBC News)

“After careful consideration, I support whatever changes to Senate rules that may prove necessary for us to get the SAVE America Act and homeland security funding past the Democrats' obstruction, through the Senate, and on the president's desk for his signature.”

— John Cornyn, U.S. Senator (New York Post)

What’s next

Trump is expected to make a decision on endorsing a candidate in the Texas Senate race within the next week.

The takeaway

The TV ad buy in Palm Beach suggests the Paxton-supporting super PAC is trying to sway Trump's endorsement in the closely watched Republican primary runoff, as the former president's backing could be crucial in determining the nominee.