A considerable uproar from President Donald Trump’s most loyal supporters forced the president to “quietly” back off an endorsement plan in a key Senate race, The Washington Post reported on Saturday, with MAGA already claiming responsibility for successfully browbeating the president.
In Texas, Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) is vying for a fifth term in the Senate, but is being challenged by the state's Republican attorney general, Ken Paxton, a controversial figure who’s been accused of fraud and infidelity but is beloved by MAGA supporters.
According to the Post, Trump had initially planned to endorse Cornyn – who Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) had lobbied Trump to endorse as a safer bet – but pulled back after seeing his base push back against the idea.
“He hasn’t [endorsed Cornyn] because he’s in touch with us, and we told him ‘No,’” said Karen McCrary, a Texas voter and Trump supporter who spoke with the Post and went on to call Cornyn a “RINO,” an acronym for Republican in Name Only. “[Cornyn] is a RINO of RINOs.”
According to the Post, Trump had gone as far as to have an endorsement statement for Cornyn drafted, but it was ultimately never issued. Nevertheless, a White House insider told the Post that the president was “still letting” the race “play out at this point,” speaking with the outlet on the condition of anonymity.
“I’ve talked to the president about it,” said Matthew Schlapp, a prominent conservative activist and lobbyist, speaking with the Post about the Texas GOP Senate primary race. “Like with everything, he’s curious to know people’s opinions.”