Donald Trump has officially thrown his weight behind Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in the race for a crucial U.S. Senate seat, according to reporting by the BBC - and if the reaction from Senate Republicans is any indication, the endorsement went over about as well as a screen door on a submarine.
Why this endorsement is... a lot
Paxton is not exactly what political consultants would call a "clean candidate." The Texas AG has had more legal drama than a prestige HBO series - he faced an impeachment trial by the Texas House in 2023 (he was ultimately acquitted by the Texas Senate), settled a whistleblower lawsuit from former aides who accused him of bribery and abuse of office, and has been under a long-running federal investigation. He denies wrongdoing across the board.
Despite all that carry-on, Trump apparently looked at the field and said "yeah, that's my guy" - a move the BBC reports left many Senate Republicans visibly dismayed, particularly those who have worked alongside the incumbent, Senator John Cornyn, for decades.
The stakes could not be higher
Texas, while reliably red in recent election cycles, is a state that Democrats have been eyeing hungrily for years. Putting up a candidate whose baggage could fill a Spirit Airlines overhead compartment - wait, nothing fits there - let's say a full cargo hold - gives the opposition a potential opening in a state that Republicans absolutely cannot afford to lose.
Senate Republicans backing Cornyn now face the awkward situation of being on the opposite side of their party's dominant figure, a position roughly as comfortable as sitting on a cactus in August in, well, Texas.
The Trump loyalty test continues
This endorsement fits a familiar pattern from Trump's political playbook: back the candidate who has demonstrated personal loyalty, and let the chips fall where they may in the general election. It has worked before - and it has spectacularly backfired before, handing Democrats seats in Georgia and elsewhere during the 2022 midterms.
Whether Paxton can overcome his considerable legal and political baggage to win both the Republican primary and a general election remains a very open question. For now, Senate Republicans are reportedly doing what they do best when Trump makes a move they dislike - quietly seething while publicly staying very, very quiet.
The BBC reports that the endorsement has genuinely rattled the caucus, which is remarkable given that at this point, almost nothing rattles the caucus.
