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● InformationalElections / Campaigns

Trump endorses Paxton in Texas Senate race ahead of runoff

Trump endorsed Paxton as he faces John Cornyn in the Republican Senate runoff.

Trump endorses Paxton in Texas Senate race ahead of runoff
Image · Yahoo News

SOURCE CHECK

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Host credibilityYahoo News76/100 HIGH
This article1 analysis · Oct 6, 2026

Credibility rates Yahoo News, which republished this story. The other scores rate the article itself.

Republished

Republished from CBS News. The relationship between the two publishers has not been determined.

CBS News84/100 HIGH

202 stories · 84–85 · updated Oct 7, 2026

This is CBS News's own score, and this article is credited to CBS News. The host score in the Source Check is Yahoo News's.

Yahoo Newsvia CBS News
May 19, 2026
tl;dr

President Trump endorsed Ken Paxton in Texas’s Republican Senate runoff against John Cornyn, a week before voters choose the party’s nominee. The endorsement comes as Senate Republicans have backed Cornyn and warn Paxton could be a weaker general-election candidate.

Community verdict

VOTING CLOSED
How does this story look for
Ken Paxton R · TX
NOT RATEDCLOSED

No good or bad look here

This story reports what happened without casting Paxton in a good or bad light, so readers don’t rate it and it doesn’t count toward Paxton’s record.

● INFORMATIONAL

People in this story

SWIPE →
Ken Paxton
R · TX

Republican Senate candidate endorsed by Trump in the Texas runoff

PRIMARY SUBJECT
John Cornyn
R · TX · SEN

Republican senator and Senate candidate facing Paxton in the runoff

Cornyn's version of this story ↗
Donald Trump
R · President of the United States

President who endorsed Paxton in the Republican Senate runoff

Trump's version of this story ↗

Democratic Senate nominee who responded to the endorsement

Lindsey Graham
Former U.S. Senator (R-SC)

Senator who discussed the difficulty and cost of a Paxton general-election campaign

Susan M. Collins
R · ME · SEN

Senator who criticized Paxton and praised Cornyn

Former president whose 2020 election victory Paxton challenged

John Thune
R · SD · SEN

Senate majority leader who commented on Trump’s endorsement

ALSO MENTIONED  Barack Obama, Former president whose administration Paxton challenged

Part of a bigger story

93 OUTLETS
Trump Endorses Ken Paxton in Texas Republican Senate Runoff

Outlets agree President Donald Trump endorsed Ken Paxton over incumbent John Cornyn in the Texas Republican Senate runoff. Left-leaning outlets portray the endorsement as a setback for Cornyn and Republicans, stressing Paxton’s baggage and the possibility of helping Democrats. Center outlets focus on Republican concerns about the seat and Senate majority, and on what the endorsement signals about Trump’s influence and the party’s direction. Right-leaning outlets center Trump’s backing for Paxton, with some presenting it as a major boost and others noting its potential electoral consequences.

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