John Cornyn Nukes GOP Primary Challenger in Scorched Earth Attack: ‘Ken Claims to Be a Man of Faith…’
AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin
Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) pulled no punches this week in attacking his longtime nemesis turned GOP primary opponent, Ken Paxton.
Paxon, Texas’s controversial attorney general, announced on Laura Ingraham’s Fox News show Tuesday night that he would seek to oust Cornyn – a four-term senator who once served as the Senate GOP’s whip.
Paxton told Ingraham that it was “time for a change in Texas” and accused Cornyn of a “lack of production” in his over two decades in the Senate.
“We have another great U.S. senator, Ted Cruz, and it’s time we have another great senator that will actually stand up and fight for Republican values, fight for the values of the people of Texas, and also support Donald Trump in the areas that he’s focused on in a very significant way,” Paxton added.
Cornyn, who is often seen as the more moderate Texas senator, released a statement hammering Paxton over his many recent scandals – including an impeachment trial over allegations he sold the powers of his office.
“Ken Paxton is a fraud. He talks tough on crime and then lets crooked progressive Lina Hidalgo off the hook. He says his impeachment trial was a sham, but he didn’t contest the facts in legal filings, which will cost the state millions,” Cornyn said, adding:
He says he’s anti- woke but he funnels millions of taxpayer dollars to lawyers who celebrate DEI. And Ken claims to be a man of faith but uses fake Uber accounts to meet his girlfriend and deceive his family.
This will be a spirited campaign and we assure Texans they will have a real choice when this race is over.
Cornyn and Paxton have long jabbed each other online and clearly have no love lost between them. Last February, as Cornyn was eyeing a run to lead the Republican caucus in the Senate, Paxton tweeted, “It will be difficult for @JohnCornyn to be an effective leader since he is anti-Trump, anti-gun, and will be focused on his highly competitive primary campaign in 2026. Republicans deserve better in their next leader and Texans deserve another conservative Senator.”
Cornyn shot back, writing, “Hard to run from prison, Ken.”
President Donald Trump’s endorsement will likely loom large in the race — and both Paxton and Cornyn are reportedly actively courting it. Trump has long been a close backer of Paxton, who as attorney general has filed various lawsuits to back up the president’s agenda.
The Texas Tribune noted, “Trump also came to Paxton’s defense when he was impeached in 2023 for allegedly accepting bribes and abusing the power of his office to help a wealthy friend and campaign donor. After Paxton was acquitted in the Texas Senate, Trump claimed credit, citing his “intervention” on his Truth Social platform.”
CNN’s Manu Raju commented on the stakes of the primary recently, suggesting it could be one of the most expensive and bruising battles in U.S. primary history.
“All that has added up to one overriding fear: that a Texas Senate GOP primary could end up costing their party at least $100 million, siphoning money from other critical battlegrounds, according to several Senate GOP sources. Plus, they worry that a wounded GOP nominee could end up giving Democrats a chance in what would otherwise be a long-shot pickup opportunity as former Rep. Colin Allred weighs another Senate run,” Raju wrote, offering a warning for the GOP.
