Trump Calls Out Republican Leaders as Ken Paxton Struggles in Tight Senate Race

Trump Calls Out Republican Leaders as Ken Paxton Struggles in Tight Senate Race

“They are hurting Texas and, more importantly, hurting the United States of America!”

Payton Anderson
Payton Anderson
October 20, 2026

Republicans are growing more anxious in the final weeks before the midterm elections, and President Donald Trump is blaming others in the party for its struggles.

In a Truth Social post late last week, Trump called out Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) and Republican strategist Karl Rove for the current drag in polling for Republican Senate nominee and Attorney General Ken Paxton (R-TX). Paxton currently trails Democrat James Talarico (D-TX) by two points, despite receiving tens of millions of dollars in funding from Trump’s MAGA Inc. and other Republican Super PACs.

Trump said Cornyn and Rove are “doing everything possible to make it harder for” Paxton to win the midterms against “Radical Left Lunatic” Talarico.

“They are hurting Texas and, more importantly, hurting the United States of America!” Trump said, adding that the two should be “ashamed of themselves.”

After Trump endorsed Paxton in the primary, Sen. Cornyn lost his reelection bid and has since become estranged from the president.

In his social media post, Trump continued to tout his record in the Republican-leaning state. Through his campaign rhetoric, the president has asked his supporters to vote as if he were on the ballot, warning his signature policies will become targets for Democrats.

“We cannot take a chance on having a FREAKO, sometimes referred to as James TalaFREAKO, as our man in Washington, D.C., representing the magnificent people of the Great State of Texas!” Trump said.

Trump has since traveled to the battleground state twice this month for a rally, revealing how tight this race is. In several leaked audio messages in recent weeks, Paxton has also expressed anxiety about his chances for the Senate seat.

“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 said. “He will be a Great Senator, just like he is a Great Attorney General.”

Payton Anderson

Payton Anderson

Payton Anderson is a reporter for Texas Politics based in Washington, D.C., where she's pursuing her bachelor's degree in journalism at American University. Originally from California, Payton's reporting experience spans all avenues of digital and multimedia publishing. In her free time, she enjoys playing soccer and being outdoors.

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