Alright, folks—grab the popcorn and maybe a bulletproof vest, because Texas just went from red to blood-red.
In a bold, calculated, and let’s be honest, long-anticipated move, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton officially announced he’s going after Senator John Cornyn’s seat in 2026. And this isn’t just a Senate challenge. This is a high-stakes political grudge match between two very different visions of what the Republican Party should be.
The gloves are off—and if Paxton’s words on The Ingraham Angle are any indication, he’s not pulling punches. “It’s definitely time for a change in Texas,” Paxton told Laura Ingraham, serving up a spicy blend of Trumpian loyalty and straight-up anti-establishment rhetoric.
Now let’s be real: John Cornyn isn’t some rookie. He’s been in the U.S. Senate for more than 20 years, held leadership positions, and has long been considered a fixture in establishment GOP politics. But that’s exactly Paxton’s angle. He’s not trying to out-Cornyn Cornyn—he’s trying to bury him under a MAGA landslide.
From the moment he launched this campaign, Paxton’s message has been laser-focused: Cornyn is out of touch. On gun control, border security, Trump’s election, even foreign aid—Paxton says Cornyn has “turned his back on the America First Agenda.”
And then there’s the nickname—“Senator Ukraine.” Yep. Paxton literally told Punchbowl News that Cornyn is funding Ukraine more than he’s funding Texas’ own border. In this race, you’re either for Trump and the Texas border, or you’re for Kyiv and committee meetings.
Now here’s the twist: Senate Republicans are reportedly begging Donald Trump to endorse Cornyn to block what they see as a costly primary war. But hold up—Trump once floated Paxton as a possible U.S. Attorney General, and called Cornyn “weak and ineffective.”
So will Trump back Cornyn for the sake of party unity? Or will he ride with Paxton and double down on MAGA dominance?
Cornyn, for his part, is trying to thread the needle, telling CNN’s Manu Raju that he has “a very good relationship” with Trump and that the endorsement will come “when he’s ready.” That sounds a lot like waiting for a rescue helicopter while standing on a melting iceberg.