John Cornyn Fires Back After Ken Paxton's Jab Over Trump Endorsement

John Cornyn

The simmering feud between U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R) and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) escalated this week after Paxton challenged Cornyn's confidence that President Donald Trump will give him an endorsement for re-election.

Cornyn, speaking on The Chad Hasty Show, said that he is "growing more confident" that Trump will back his 2026 Senate campaign, noting that Trump's advisers "must be telling him that Paxton is a weak candidate and could endanger down-ballot Republicans."

Paxton quickly responded on social media, writing, "John Cornyn was confident Donald Trump wouldn't win the election. Thankfully, he was wrong."

Cornyn's Campaign didn't let the comment go unanswered, with his communications manager, Matt Mackowiak, firing back directly at Paxton.

"Your unchecked lies stop now. Sen. Cornyn endorsed President Trump in 2024 earlier than any GOP presidential candidate in his career. He campaigned for him, raised money for him, and actively helped," wrote Mackowaik. "Why hasn't Trump endorsed you, Ken?"

The exchange highlights growing tension in the Texas Republican Party ahead of the 2026 Senate race. Trump, who has yet to endorse any Texas candidate, faces mounting pressure to weigh in as Cornyn, Paxton, and U.S. Rep. Wesley Hunt eye the seat.

Raeylee Barefield

Raeylee Barefield is a Legislative Correspondent based in Austin, Texas, specializing in state government and public policy. With one year of reporting under her belt, she covers legislative developments, committee hearings, and policy debates. She has been cited by Texas Politics and Big Energy for her coverage and analysis of legislative and regulatory issues. Her reporting typically focuses on Public policy, Stare government, environmental policy, and energy regulation. To contact her, please reach out at Raeylee@dnm.news