Cornyn Won't Commit to Paxton
for Fall in Texas Senate Battle
as Trump Alleges Disloyalty
The high drama intensified in Texas on Sunday in an epic U.S. Senate runoff when incumbent gave the impression he may not support Ken Paxton in November in a move that could be fatal for the GOP's hopes for holding the seat.
Cornyn refused to say that he'd fall in line behind the Texas attorney general if he's the Senate nominee after President Donald Trump accused the incumbent of extreme disloyalty in a Truth Social post.
Trump's pounding of the 24-year Senate veteran came after the president called Cornyn a good man who simply hadn't always been as supportive as he'd expected of the GOP members in Congress.
Cornyn speculated that Trump chose Paxton as a way to send a message to Senate Republican leaders to drop the roadblocks to president priorities that they've hoisted up in the past week or so. But Cornyn would not commit to backing Paxton in the event he wins on Tuesday as a new prohibitive favorite on the strength of the Trump plug.
Paxton "was very loyal to your favorite president, ME, as the Democrats played their ultimate game of Weaponization, and failed BADLY!" Trump contended in the post. "Ken's opponent was VERY disloyal to me, as President, and didn't fight hard enough for the desperately needed SAVE AMERICA ACT - VOTER I.D., PROOF OF CITIZENSHIP, NO MAIL-IN BALLOTS (with exceptions for Military, ilness, Disability, or Travel)."
Trump outburst on Cornyn poured more fuel into a dumpster fire that the Texas Senate runoff for the Republicans has become since he endorsed Paxton six days before the overtime election on Tuesday.
Polls have shown that anywhere from 10 percent to 25 percent of Cornyn voters say they won't vote for Paxton if he's the Senate nominee. Cornyn supporters who refuse to support Paxton have indicated they would either skip the race or cast their votes for James Talarico as the Democratic nominee.
U.S. Senator Thom Tillis - a North Carolina Republican - praised Cornyn in a television interview on Sunday when he blasted the Texas AG. “He’s a failure," Tillis said of Paxton. "He doesn't deserve to be in the US Senate.”
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Projected Winner GOP
Projected Winner Dem