Nicolai Haugsted
The president is demanding Republican unity while accusing two longtime political opponents of sabotaging his chosen candidate.
Donald Trump is facing an uncomfortable political challenge in a state Republicans have dominated for decades.
With the November midterm elections approaching, the president is fighting to protect a Senate seat that has long been considered reliably Republican territory.
Recent polling, however, suggests the contest could be considerably closer than the party anticipated, according to The Daily Beast.
Rather than directing all his criticism at the Democratic opposition, Trump has now turned his attention to two prominent figures within his own party, accusing them of undermining his preferred candidate.
The president has even identified who he believes should take responsibility if Republicans lose the race.
Trump names the people he intends to blame
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, 63, is competing against Democratic candidate James Talarico, 37, for a seat in the US Senate.
Trump endorsed Paxton in May, choosing him over longtime Republican Senator John Cornyn, who had represented Texas in Washington for more than two decades.
But recent surveys have given Democrats reason to believe that the historically Republican seat could be competitive.
Three polls released this week placed Talarico ahead of Paxton, with one showing a lead of four percentage points.
The findings have intensified Republican concerns about a contest that would ordinarily favor their party.
Trump responded on Thursday with an angry Truth Social message targeting Cornyn and veteran Republican strategist Karl Rove.
“Sadly, and very stupidly, John Cornyn, and his Liddle’ Buddy, Super RINO, Karl Rove, are doing everything possible to make it hard for Ken Paxton, the Greatest Attorney General in the History of Texas, and one of the Best in the United States, to win the upcoming Midterm Election against a Radical Left Lunatic, James TalaFREAKO, who is the ANTITHESIS of Texas Values,” the president wrote.
The attack continued with Trump accusing the two Republicans of working against his political agenda.
“If Ken Paxton loses, it will be because of WEAK and INEFFECTIVE Political Hacks like John Cornyn and Karl Rove, who have ineffectively opposed me for my entire political career,” he declared.
His comments effectively established a potential explanation for defeat before voters have even cast their ballots.
A Republican stronghold faces an unusually close contest
Democrats have not won a US Senate election in Texas since Lloyd Bentsen secured another term in 1988.
Trump’s endorsement helped Paxton defeat Cornyn in the Republican primary earlier this year.
According to figures reported by the Texas Tribune, Paxton received 63.8 percent of the vote compared with Cornyn’s 36.2 percent.
The result ended Cornyn’s long electoral career and established Paxton as the Republican nominee.
However, winning the party nomination has not resolved concerns about his appeal to the wider electorate.
Trump attempted to strengthen Paxton’s position by holding the Republican National Midterm Convention in Dallas last month, where he again publicly supported the attorney general.
Despite that show of confidence, the latest polling has kept attention firmly on the competitiveness of the race.
The president has now issued a direct appeal to Republicans who previously supported Cornyn.
“Your favorite President (ME!) is asking all of those who supported Senator John Cornyn to UNITE, and immediately switch your support to Ken Paxton,” Trump wrote.
Cornyn refuses to fall in line
Trump’s appeal comes against the backdrop of a bitter Republican primary that has left considerable divisions within the party.
Cornyn has made clear that he does not intend to help raise money for Paxton’s general election campaign.
Speaking to CNN last month, the veteran senator described his former opponent as a “bad candidate.”
“It’s hard to outrun all the baggage,” Cornyn added.
His criticism reflects longstanding concerns among some Republicans about the controversies surrounding Paxton.
Karl Rove, who served as a senior adviser to former President George W. Bush, has been similarly outspoken.
Speaking at the Texas Tribune Festival in September, Rove argued that Republicans would have faced a much easier contest with Cornyn as their nominee.
“If John Cornyn were the nominee, this race would be over,” he said.
Rove also questioned Paxton’s personal conduct and the allegations that have followed him throughout his political career.
His public criticism has clearly irritated Trump, who accused the strategist of using his appearances on Fox News to damage the Republican nominee.
Personal controversies complicate Paxton’s campaign
Paxton’s political career has been accompanied by allegations involving his private life and relationships with wealthy associates.
His wife, Angela Paxton, filed for divorce last year, citing what she described as biblical grounds.
More recently, The Wall Street Journal reported that Paxton had attended a gathering in Dubai alongside a woman identified as his mistress, Tracey Duhon, and two individuals wanted by the US Justice Department.
The report has added to scrutiny of the Republican candidate as the Senate contest enters its final weeks.
Rove has openly argued that such controversies have made the election more difficult for Republicans.
During his appearance at the Texas Tribune Festival, he referred to allegations about Paxton’s relationships and financial dealings, suggesting that the contest would look very different without those issues.
Rove has also demonstrated his willingness to break with Republican candidates elsewhere in Texas.
In a Wall Street Journal opinion piece last month, he announced that he would support Democrat Jon Rosenthal over Republican Bo French in the Texas Railroad Commission election.
“The GOP’s stables need a cleaning,” Rove wrote.
“This is a good place to start.”
Trump refuses to reconsider his endorsement
Despite the concerns, Trump has shown no indication that he regrets backing Paxton.
During an interview with Newsmax on Thursday, host Rob Finnerty asked whether the president would reconsider his endorsement if Talarico ultimately won the election.
“No, because I think Cornyn would have lost,” Trump replied.
The president acknowledged that Paxton has critics but insisted that his record as Texas attorney general justified the endorsement.
Trump also maintained that Cornyn and Rove were responsible for damaging Republican unity.
Meanwhile, billionaire Elon Musk has reportedly contributed $10 million to efforts supporting Paxton’s campaign, adding substantial financial backing to the Republican candidate.
Campaign spending has become a major feature of the race, with both parties investing heavily in advertising ahead of November 3.
Former Republican congressman challenges Trump’s explanation
Not everyone within the Republican Party accepts Trump’s argument that Cornyn and Rove are responsible for Paxton’s difficulties.
Former Republican Representative Charlie Dent criticized the president’s remarks during an appearance on CNN’s OutFront on Thursday.
Dent pointed out that Cornyn had repeatedly won elections in Texas before Trump intervened in the Republican primary.
“The problem with the Paxton race is the candidate,” Dent said.
“He’s deeply flawed, unfit on many levels, character issues. That’s the problem, and Donald Trump endorsed him.”
Dent argued that the president was attempting to establish an alternative explanation for a possible Republican defeat.
“This is not about John Cornyn. It’s not about Karl Rove. The president is just trying to deflect. And put the blame somewhere else in the event that Paxton loses. It’s as simple as that.”
Recent polling confirms that the contest is competitive, although surveys do not all point in the same direction.
A University of Texas poll placed Talarico ahead by three percentage points, 50 to 47, while another recent survey showed Paxton narrowly ahead. Those differences fall within the uncertainty associated with individual polls.
