Trump Blames Cornyn and Rove for Ken Paxton's Senate Struggles

President Donald Trump declared that Senator John Cornyn and strategist Karl Rove will be responsible if Republican nominee Ken Paxton loses the Texas Senate race to Democrat James Talarico. In posts on Truth Social, Trump labeled Cornyn and Rove as weak and ineffective political hacks, claiming they are doing everything possible to make it hard for Paxton to win. Trump urged former Cornyn supporters to unite and immediately switch their support to Paxton.

The tension follows a May primary runoff where Paxton defeated Cornyn with Trump's endorsement. Cornyn has since declined to campaign for Paxton, describing him as lazy and a poor campaigner. Karl Rove argued that Paxton's legal scandals, including a 2023 impeachment trial, created an opening for Talarico to flip the seat.

Recent polling shows Talarico holding a narrow lead in a race where a Democrat has not won a statewide election in Texas in over 30 years. The contest has seen massive financial investment, including a $158 million donation from Elon Musk to the Senate Leadership Fund, which was then transferred to a pro-Paxton super PAC. Early voting begins October 19, with the general election scheduled for November 3.