President Donald Trump has yet to weigh in on the high-profile Republican Senate runoff in Texas, reflecting both his political caution and the growing influence of his MAGA base.
He is consulting with his donors and congressional leaders on the endorsement, The Washington Post reported Saturday.
The race pits longtime ally Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton against incumbent Sen. John Cornyn, a 23-year veteran backed by GOP leadership and major donors.
Despite pressure from advisers to support Cornyn as the more electable general-election candidate, Trump has hesitated, privately acknowledging that his base strongly favors Paxton.
In recent weeks, Trump has repeatedly polled allies and donors about the race, even as he juggled foreign policy tensions and legislative battles.
He had been close to endorsing Cornyn earlier this month, but backed off amid backlash from grassroots conservatives, who view Paxton as a more authentic MAGA figure despite his past legal and ethical controversies, including a 2023 impeachment and acquittal.
Paxton has seized the momentum, bolstered by strong polling in the runoff and direct outreach to Trump at Mar-a-Lago.
Meanwhile, Cornyn continues to rely on institutional support and endorsements, though key Texas Republicans, including Gov. Greg Abbott and Sen. Ted Cruz, have notably stayed neutral.
The Texas contest underscored broader tensions within the GOP ahead of critical midterm elections.
Republicans are focused on maintaining, or expanding, their Senate majority, and party strategists see candidate quality as decisive in competitive races.
More than a typical primary, the Texas runoff has become a proxy fight between establishment Republicans and the MAGA grassroots.
Mark Davis, a popular conservative radio host in Texas, noted that the Paxton support is "so strong right now, that there’s not a lot of fear that President Trump would attempt to swoop in for a Cornyn rescue."
"Accurately or not, they perceive that Paxton is headed for a victory and that Cornyn’s fate is sealed.
"The attitude of the Paxton base, should Trump endorse Cornyn, is 'Thank you, Mr. President, thank God you won, but we’ve made up our minds on this one.'"
Trump’s reluctance to intervene highlights his balancing act: maintaining loyalty to his base while preserving the party’s electoral prospects.
The National Republican Senatorial Committee has argued that nominating a controversial figure like Paxton could force Republicans to spend heavily defending what should be a safe red seat.
However, some in Trump’s orbit believe the eventual GOP nominee will defeat Democratic candidate James Talarico regardless, reducing the perceived risk.
A Change Research poll from this week showed Paxton narrowly leading Cornyn 42%–39% in the GOP Senate runoff, suggesting a potential Trump endorsement could significantly influence the race.
For now, the president is taking a wait-and-see approach, effectively allowing the race to serve as a real-time test of the GOP’s direction heading into the midterms.