The Republican primary runoff in Texas, between incumbent Senator John Cornyn and Attorney General Ken Paxton continues to boil. Both MAGA-aligned candidates vied for, but failed to receive, President Trump’s endorsement. The primary runoff will take place on May 26.
Cornyn’s campaign team on Friday released the video below and wrote: “While President Trump and MAGA stand firmly with Israel and fight to end Iranian terrorism, Ken Paxton is siding with Tucker Carlson, the same man President Trump called a low-IQ fool. Paxton accepts Carlson’s endorsement while turning his back on the President. The crook and the fool stand for nothing.”
Carlson has called the war against Iran “evil, on every level.” The Cornyn attack ad says, “Ken Paxton is taking Carlson’s side over President Trump.”
While President Trump and MAGA stand firmly with Israel and fight to end Iranian terrorism, Ken Paxton is siding with Tucker Carlson, the same man President Trump called a low-IQ fool.
Paxton accepts Carlson’s endorsement while turning his back on the President. The crook and… pic.twitter.com/oigAFTG6Kk
— Team Cornyn (@TeamCornyn) April 10, 2026
The Lone Star Liberty Super PAC, supporting Paxton, replied to the Cornyn ad: “John Cornyn is still mad he was called out in 2022 for supporting Biden’s gun control bill to fund red flag laws,” and included a clip of Tucker Carlson, then on Fox News, criticizing Cornyn — and nine other Republicans including Sens. Thune, Cassidy, and Graham — for supporting a bill that would pay states to enact red flag laws.
[NOTE: While Trump is sitting on the sidelines of the GOP Texas fight, he did have plenty to say about their Democratic opponent, Texas State Rep. James Talarico. Trump wrote on social media: “I believe that any human being running against him, sick, incompetent, close to death or even a child, would win.” He added, “He may be the Worst candidate I have ever seen.” Trump also said that he didn’t release an “avalanche of information we had on [Talarico]” during his Democratic primary against Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX), hoping Talarico would emerge as the opponent.]