Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton sharpened his attacks in Grapevine this week, telling a local Republican Club crowd that Sen. John Cornyn "is not a Trump guy" as the two march toward a May 26 GOP runoff. Casting Cornyn as an establishment senator who spends most of his time in Washington, Paxton argued that Texans deserve what he framed as a truer MAGA ally. In a race where a presidential endorsement could prove decisive, the jab added fresh heat to an already tense contest.
Paxton’s Grapevine Remarks
Paxton delivered the line Thursday inside a conference room at Stacy Furniture and Design in Grapevine, saying he rarely sees Cornyn on the campaign trail and dismissing what he called "this whole pretend thing where he's a Trump guy, which is all fake," according to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. He cast himself as the candidate who would press Trump-aligned priorities and argued that Cornyn has been out of touch with grassroots GOP meetings.
Cornyn Campaign Fires Back
John Cornyn’s campaign did not let that characterization sit unanswered. Senior adviser Matt Mackowiak pointed to the senator’s voting record and ground operation, countering that "Sen. Cornyn has voted with President Trump 99.3% of the time he’s been in office." The campaign also highlighted dozens of upcoming events aimed at reeling in voters, per Bloomberg Government. The exchange underlines how both sides are trying to claim the former president’s mantle without a formal national nod in the race.
Trump, the SAVE Act and the Endorsement Question
The possibility of a Trump endorsement has loomed over the contest since the March primary, and the former president teased that he would weigh in, a hint that briefly reshuffled the race’s dynamics, according to reporting on the post-primary coverage. Paxton has also tried to raise the stakes on policy, posting on social media that he would consider exiting the runoff if the U.S. Senate passed the SAVE America Act, which includes proof-of-citizenship and photo-ID measures, as reported by the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. The Republican runoff is set for May 26, 2026, according to reporting on the primary results.
What To Watch Next
With less than a month to go until the runoff, the big political tea leaves to watch are whether Trump makes a formal endorsement, whether Senate leaders take up the SAVE America Act, and which campaign can better turn out its voters for a low-profile runoff. Whoever secures the nomination will step into a general-election map that national Republicans view as pivotal to holding their Senate edge, which makes this Grapevine dustup more than a neighborhood squabble and potentially a bellwether for where the party is headed in Texas.
