Trump Torn Between Establishment and MAGA in Texas Senate Runoff

The president has been split between backing incumbent Senator John Cornyn or disgraced Attorney General Ken Paxton.

Mar. 28, 2026 at 5:48pm

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President Donald Trump, 79, has kept his cards close to his chest when it comes to endorsing a candidate in the upcoming GOP runoff in Texas. The president has apparently been asking everyone he can about what they think of incumbent Senator John Cornyn and his rival, disgraced Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. Trump recently admitted that his 'base is with Paxton,' sources told the Washington Post.

Why it matters

Trump's endorsement could sway the outcome of the Texas Senate race, which has become a proxy battle between the Republican establishment and the MAGA base. Cornyn is seen as the more electable candidate, but Paxton has the backing of Trump's core supporters despite his trail of scandals.

The details

For months, Trump has been torn between supporting Cornyn, who GOP leaders believe is more electable than Paxton, and going against his MAGA base which may favor Paxton. Paxton had been impeached by the Texas House for corruption and was criticized for having an affair with a married mother of seven. Cornyn, on the other hand, has voted with Trump 99.3% of the time and helped deliver three new Supreme Court Justices.

  • Trump said on March 6 that he would make a decision soon on endorsing a candidate.
  • The Texas GOP runoff election is scheduled for a later date.

The players

Donald Trump

The 79-year-old former president of the United States who is torn between endorsing the Republican establishment candidate or the MAGA-backed candidate in the Texas Senate runoff.

John Cornyn

The incumbent Texas Senator who is seen as the more electable Republican candidate but has clashed with Trump's base.

Ken Paxton

The disgraced Texas Attorney General who has been impeached for corruption and had an affair, but has the backing of Trump's MAGA base.

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What they’re saying

“Sen. Cornyn has voted with President Trump 99.3% of the time he's been in office. He's voted for every single Trump nominee, and helped deliver three new Supreme Court Justices. He was the Senate Majority Whip, responsible for counting votes, in the first term. And he's the strongest GOP nominee in the general election, which will help the GOP pick up five new House seats. We have a plan to win the runoff and we are executing it.”

— Matt Mackowiak, Senior advisor to the Cornyn campaign

What’s next

Trump has promised to make a decision on endorsing a candidate in the Texas Senate runoff soon, but has not yet done so. The runoff election is scheduled for a later date.

The takeaway

Trump's endorsement in the Texas Senate race has become a high-stakes proxy battle between the Republican establishment and his MAGA base. The president's decision could sway the outcome, but he faces a difficult choice between backing the more electable Cornyn or the scandal-plagued but MAGA-favored Paxton.