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

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

Mar. 17, 2026 at 12:36am

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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 Donald 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. Trump is still deciding whether to endorse a candidate in the competitive Republican primary runoff.

Why it matters

The endorsement of Trump could be crucial in the Republican primary runoff, and the Paxton-supporting PAC is trying to sway the former president by running ads attacking Cornyn while he is at his Florida resort. The race is seen as an important test of Trump's continued influence within the GOP.

The details

Lone Star Liberty PAC released a new 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.' Top Republicans have been lobbying Trump to back Cornyn, concerned that Paxton's controversial tenure as Texas Attorney General could make the seat difficult to defend in the general election.

  • The ads began airing on Friday, March 17, 2026.
  • Trump is spending the weekend of March 17-19, 2026 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 weighing an endorsement in the Republican Senate primary in Texas.

Lone Star Liberty PAC

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

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What they’re saying

“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

“I'd say that's not true.”

— John Cornyn

What’s next

The winner of the May 26 Republican primary runoff will face Texas state Rep. James Talarico (D) in the November general election.

The takeaway

This race is seen as an important test of Trump's continued influence within the Republican Party, as the former president weighs whether to endorse Paxton or Cornyn in the competitive primary. The outcome could have significant implications for the GOP's chances of holding the Senate seat in the general election.