Republican Senators Are Livid at Trump's Endorsement of Paxton

[dalton99a]

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/19/us/politics/republican-senators-trump-paxton.html

https://archive.ph/nut7Y

Republican Senators Are Livid at Trump’s Endorsement of Paxton
News that President Trump had snubbed Senator John Cornyn of Texas, the four-term incumbent, was met with shock, anger and fear that the G.O.P. could lose his seat.
By Michael Gold, Megan Mineiro and Carl Hulse
May 19, 2026 Updated 5:56 p.m. ET

Republican senators reacted angrily on Tuesday to President Trump’s decision to endorse Ken Paxton, the Texas attorney general, in the state’s Senate primary runoff, warning that his snub of the incumbent Senator John Cornyn could risk the seat and the party’s fight to keep its majority.

Heading into their weekly G.O.P. luncheon not long after Mr. Trump posted his choice on social media, many Senate Republicans appeared stunned and livid as they learned the news, which dealt a serious blow to Mr. Cornyn, who has served for more than two decades.

“Oh boy,” said a visibly dismayed Senator John Hoeven of North Dakota, as he left the Senate chamber after hearing of Mr. Trump’s announcement.

“Well, obviously,” he added, “I support Senator Cornyn.”

....

[Cha]

1. Ohhh, Go Nuclear on his Treasonous Ass!

Traitor is such a dirty ol man.

[Takket]

2. Why?

Paxton is a soulless feckless grifting monster with no moral code. Seems like he fits right in.

[B.See]

7. Precisely. Was NO doubt in my mind

that if he ended up endorsing either it'd HAVE to be the worst of the worst. And he always knew who that'd be. He just waited to tell em.

[themaguffin]

3. They're so livid that they will continue to support absolutely support all of the corruption & scorched Earth actions by

...by donnie.

[dalton99a]

9. +1

[travelingthrulife]

4. Yet they still support the 34 count felon and rapist in the White House.

[FHRRK1]

5. The worthless fucking bitches can shut the fuck up

They created the monster, they own the monster.

[hedda_foil]

6. Sure. When the choice is between corrupt and REALLY, REALLY CORRUPT.....

[msongs]

8. today dismay, next week back to groveling and crawling nt

[Abolishinist]

10. Livid? Really?

Livid: extremely angry, furious

“Oh boy,” said a visibly dismayed Senator John Hoeven of North Dakota, as he left the Senate chamber after hearing of Mr. Trump’s announcement.

A stone-faced Senator Roger Wicker of Mississippi refused to answer questions about the endorsement as he exited the chamber following a vote.

“It’s his decision,” John Thune told reporters of Mr. Trump as he entered the party luncheon at the Capitol, throwing up a hand in a gesture of exasperation.

Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina said that Mr. Trump had a right to his endorsement.

[RockCreek]

11. So adjust your votes to express this

and perhaps some ethics and morality as well.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

12. This made me smile

[LetMyPeopleVote]

13. Trump Screws Himself So Badly on Texas Race, GOPers Visibly Stunned

As Republicans seethe over Trump’s decision to elevate the weaker, more extreme Senate candidate in Texas, a Democratic operative who knows the state explains what the path to victory now looks like.

Trump Screws Himself So Badly on Texas Race, GOPers Visibly Stunned

As Republicans seethe over Trump’s decision to elevate the weaker, more extreme Senate candidate in Texas, a Democratic operative who knows the state explains what the path to victory now looks like.

— Jon Cooper (@joncooper-us.bsky.social) 2026-05-20T15:21:55.947Z

https://newrepublic.com/article/210706/trump-screws-badly-tex-race-gopers-visibly-stunned

Donald Trump just endorsed MAGA nutjob Ken Paxton in the Texas GOP primary for Senate, potentially killing off establishment incumbent Senator John Cornyn. As GOP senators absorbed this news, reporters described them as “visibly dismayed” and “stone-faced.” Senator Lisa Murkowski openly declared that Trump has now put the seat “in jeopardy,” asking: “How does that help strengthen the president’s hand when we lose a state like Texas?” Translation: Trump has screwed himself and his party in a big way. This might cost them the seat, and at a minimum it makes it much harder to hold. So is Texas actually gettable for Democrats? We talked to Democratic operative Sawyer Hackett, a veteran of Texas races. He explains why Paxton is much weaker than Cornyn, why a perfect storm of conditions in the state could bring about the unthinkable, what Democrat James Talarico’s path to victory looks like, and what could still go wrong for Democrats.

Here is a transcript of this podcast

trump did not endorse Paxton until Tuesday of last week after early voting had started. A ton of vote by mail ballots had no doubt been already cast. Corynyn had more money than Paxton and had a great deal of good material to work with. Paxton is a major league asshole. Cornyn is still running negative ads on Paxton. This will be fun to watch.