Trump’s endorsement in the Texas Senate race may hinge on passage of the SAVE America Act
WASHINGTON — A week ago, President Donald Trump appeared poised to back Republican Sen. John Cornyn of Texas against a GOP primary challenger, potentially clearing the field so the party could focus on defeating the Democratic challenger in November.
Approval did not come. A senior Trump administration official said Tuesday that Trump’s decision on who to support, Cornyn or Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, was “on hold.” The more the days pass, the more Republicans become worried.
“You have to ask yourself: why is he waiting? » said a Republican senator in an interview.
One reason appears to be that Trump has tied his support to the fate of a bill that would impose stricter voting requirements. Trump appears to be using his support — considered the most powerful in Republican politics — as leverage to get Republican lawmakers to pass a measure that is stalled in the Senate.
A senior administration official did not dispute that Trump is tying his support to legislation he is eager to pass.
In two recent phone interviews, NBC News asked Trump about his plans for support. In neither case did he respond directly. Instead, he opted for the SAVE America Act statute. The measure needs 60 votes to reach Trump’s desk under the Senate’s filibuster rule.
Asked if he would get the bill passed, Trump said Monday: “I don’t know. Nobody’s doing much on it. And until they do, I’m not going to do anything.”
He repeated, with added emphasis: “I won’t do anything until they do it.” »
Sen. John Thune, a South Dakota Republican and House majority leader, expressed concern that Trump’s approval could now depend on the bill’s passage.
“Yeah,” Thune told reporters. “It’s probably not a connection that’s in anyone’s best interest.”
Although the Senate is ready to vote on the measure that Trump has made a top priority, its passage “is not guaranteed,” he warned.
“You have to make political decisions regardless of the final decision of this case. [the SAVE America Act] could be on the ground.
Cornyn and Paxton both spoke in favor of the bill, which would require, among other changes, a photo ID to vote in federal elections, as well as documentary proof of U.S. citizenship to register to vote.
Trump also wants to add unrelated provisions: One would ban transgender athletes from participating in women’s sports, and another would restrict gender-affirming treatment for minors.
Not long ago, the path to a Cornyn endorsement seemed easier. As long as Cornyn kept the primary race close, Trump was likely to support him over Paxton, said two people familiar with the White House thinking, including a close Cornyn ally.
Cornyn, in fact, remained close. He qualified for the Republican runoff scheduled for May 26 by beating Paxton 42 to 41 percent in the March 3 primary.
The next day, Trump posted on Truth Social that he would support a candidate “soon,” writing that the man who didn’t get his support should step aside, sparing Republicans a bruising intra-party fight before a tough race against the Democratic nominee, 36-year-old James Talarico.
Trump wrote that the primary race “cannot, for the sake of the Party and our country itself, be allowed to continue any longer. IT MUST STOP NOW! We have an easy radical left opponent to beat, and we must TOTALLY FOCUS on putting him aside, quickly and decisively!”
After initially promising to stay in the race after the primary, Paxton posted on X that he would consider dropping out if Senate leaders agreed to drop the filibuster rule that requires a 60-vote majority and pass the voting bill.
“The SAVE America Act is the most important bill the United States Senate will ever pass, and I am committed to helping President Trump make it happen,” Paxton wrote.
This endorsement poses a dilemma for Trump. Whatever he decides, it could swing the outcome, with control of the Senate potentially at stake.
A Texas Public Opinion Research survey of likely GOP primary voters found that Paxton initially led the runoff against Cornyn by 8 points, with the contest reducing to a stalemate if Trump were to support Cornyn. The survey was conducted on Saturday and Sunday.
Advisors have provided Trump with data showing Cornyn has the best chance of defeating Talarico, according to a person familiar with internal White House discussions. But Trump has also seen data that his MAGA base is with Paxton, according to this person.
Flipping the Texas Senate seat would be a coup for Democrats. They must win four seats in November to take control of the Senate.
Cornyn and his allies have argued that he represents the party’s best chance to retain the Senate seat, in light of Paxton’s personal and professional struggles.
Paxton was indicted on bribery and corruption charges in 2023; the State Senate acquitted him. Last year, Paxton’s wife announced she was divorcing on “biblical grounds.”
“If he [Trump] “I’m not sure Cornyn can beat him.” [Talarico]but I know Paxton can’t.
Paxton rejected suggestions that he would jeopardize the seat, arguing that he can energize Trump voters who have been less likely to turn out when the president is not on the ballot.
Within Trump’s MAGA movement, some have suspected Cornyn for years. He remained neutral in the 2016 Republican primaries – Trump’s first bid for president.
In 2023, Cornyn, who is in his fourth term, said “Trump’s time has passed him”, suggesting that Trump was not the most electable presidential candidate in 2024. He ultimately supported Trump, however.
“President Trump’s most devoted supporters hate Cornyn — for the same reason he hates the president and the MAGA movement,” Steve Bannon, a senior White House official during Trump’s last term, told NBC News on Tuesday.
As the wait for an endorsement continues, Cornyn is doing what he can to reassure Texas voters that he is a true Trump loyalist.
“I would like the president to approve,” Cornyn told NBC News on Tuesday, noting that the runoff would take place in a few weeks.
“If he does it, it will make our job a little easier,” he added. “But if he doesn’t, well, that doesn’t change our plans.”
