Trump targets John Cornyn and Karl Rove ahead of Ken Paxton’s possible Texas Senate race loss
WASHINGTON, DC: On Thursday, Oct 15, President Trump jumped onto Truth Social, making it clear that if Ken Paxton loses the Texas Senate race to Democrat James Talarico, he’ll point the finger at Sen John Cornyn and Karl Rove, the GOP strategist with decades under his belt.
Trump’s not waiting for election night to go on the offensive. Paxton’s been slipping behind Talarico in recent polls, and fresh scandals haven’t helped his campaign’s momentum. Trump’s remarks sound like he’s already gearing up to blame Cornyn and Rove if things go south for Paxton.
Trump blames weak ‘hacks’ for loss
Trump didn’t just endorse Paxton; he called on Cornyn’s old supporters to get behind him, stirring up the same party divisions that flared during the primary.
NEW: In a Truth Social post, President Trump accuses Senator John Cornyn and Karl Rove of working against Ken Paxton in the Texas Senate race. Cornyn has said he will support the entire GOP ticket but he’s not campaigning for Paxton. @CBSNewsTexas https://t.co/Qe3vX1r27d
— Jack Fink (@cbs11jack) October 15, 2026
His backing for Paxton, who carried plenty of scandal, pushed the longtime favorite out of the race.
Most people saw Cornyn as the candidate with the best shot in the general election. When Trump picked Paxton instead, plenty thought he handed an advantage to the Democrats.
“Sadly, and very stupidly, John Cornyn, and his Liddle’ Buddy, Super RINO, Karl Rove, are doing everything possible to make it hard for Ken Paxton, the Greatest Attorney General in the History of Texas, and one of the Best in the United States, to win the upcoming Midterm Election against a Radical Left Lunatic, James TalaFREAKO, who is the ANTITHESIS of Texas Values,” Trump raged on his Truth Social platform.
“John Cornyn who, after my Endorsement, lost the Primary to Ken by a very wide margin, and Karl Rove, who shouldn’t be allowed to spew his jealousy on FoxNews, should be ashamed of themselves.”
He said, “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.”
A campaign dogged by controversy
Paxton’s campaign has been dogged by scandals.
His impeachment by the Republican-controlled Texas House was a huge deal, even though the Senate later acquitted him. Just recently, The New York Times dropped audio in which Paxton complains that the Republican midterm convention damaged his reputation in Texas.
Then the Wall Street Journal reported he was seen mingling in Dubai with people wanted by US authorities. Paxton’s team brushed off the audio as manipulated, claiming his poll numbers are actually up.
The race is tight. Major forecasters call it a toss-up, and Talarico holds a slim lead in some polls. Trump’s MAGA Inc super PAC has poured money into supporting Paxton.
On the other side, a super PAC that backs Senate Republican leadership has committed a chunk of funds too, even though Cornyn won’t help raise money for Paxton himself.
Trump’s recent post is his most forceful move yet, basically trying to dodge blame if Republicans lose a Senate seat they expected to keep. He’s clearly hoping to galvanize Cornyn’s base and push their support toward Paxton as the campaign’s final weeks tick down.
