Trump blames Cornyn and Rove if Paxton loses Texas Senate

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 16 Oct, 00:44 · Archive

Donald Trump said Republican losses in the Texas Senate race would be John Cornyn's and Karl Rove's fault.

President Donald Trump said on Thursday that if Texas Senate nominee Ken Paxton loses his race, it will be the fault of Republican Senator John Cornyn and conservative commentator Karl Rove. Trump accused Cornyn and Rove of 'doing everything possible to make it hard' for Paxton, the state's attorney general, to defeat Democratic nominee James Talarico. Writing on Truth Social, Trump stated: '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.'

Trump's preemptive blame-casting came as Texas has unexpectedly become one of the most competitive battlegrounds of the 2026 midterm cycle. Most recent polls show Talarico maintaining a lead in the low-to-mid single digits over Paxton. Cornyn lost the Republican primary to Paxton, whom Trump controversially endorsed, viewing Cornyn as disloyal.

The Texas race has become the most expensive of the cycle, with groups backing Republicans pouring hundreds of millions of dollars into the contest. GOP spending has topped $370 million, exceeding Democratic spending by nearly $235 million. Texas has not elected a Democrat to the U.S. Senate since 1988, and voted for Trump over Kamala Harris by nearly 14 percentage points in 2024. Cornyn's office and Rove did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Trump's post.

How it is being reported

• Is Texas' Senate race a perfect storm for Democrats?The latest Texas Senate race polls show Democrat James Talarico with a slight edge over Republican Ken Paxton. Political strategists Chuck Rocha and Erin Maguire join "The Takeout" with analysis.CBS News · 16 Oct, 00:24
• Trump says 'if Ken Paxton loses' Texas Senate race, blame Cornyn and Karl RovePolls show GOP Attorney General Ken Paxton trailing Democratic Rep. James Talarico in the Texas Senate race.CNBC · 15 Oct, 22:00

In this story: Donald Trump · Ken Paxton · John Cornyn · Karl Rove · James Talarico · Texas

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