Trump signals decision may come “maybe relatively soon” as Texas Republicans anxiously await endorsement in one of America’s fiercest Senate battles
Texas – President Donald Trump is once again holding the Republican Party in suspense, this time in Texas, where one of the country’s most intense Senate battles has become increasingly tied to a single unanswered question: who will receive Trump’s endorsement?
After months of dodging the issue, Trump finally suggested that a decision could be coming soon in the bitter Republican runoff between incumbent Sen. John Cornyn and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.
Speaking about the race, Trump said he would “make a decision… maybe relatively soon,” immediately reigniting speculation inside Republican circles that have been anxiously waiting for him to pick a side.
So far, Trump has acted as the dominant force in Republican primary politics heading into the 2026 election cycle. According to Ballotpedia, he has already endorsed 286 Republican candidates nationwide, including candidates in 19 different Senate primaries. Yet despite Texas becoming one of the most closely watched Republican contests in America, Trump has remained publicly neutral between Cornyn and Paxton.
That neutrality has only intensified the drama.
A Runoff Nobody Fully Expected
The first round of voting exposed just how divided Texas Republicans have become.
Despite months of polling that frequently showed Paxton ahead, neither candidate managed to secure more than 50 percent of the vote in the March 3 primary. U.S. Rep. Wesley Hunt played a critical spoiler role that forced the race into a runoff.
Cornyn ultimately finished slightly ahead with 42 percent of the vote, while Paxton followed closely behind at 40.5 percent.
Trump notably avoided endorsing either candidate before that initial vote, even while handing out numerous endorsements during a visit to Corpus Christi on the final day of early voting.
Instead, he praised both Republicans publicly.
“We have a great Attorney General Ken Paxton,” Trump said. “And we have a great senator, John Cornyn.”
But behind the scenes, pressure on Trump to choose a side has only grown stronger ever since.
The day after the primary, Trump escalated expectations dramatically when he posted on Truth Social: “I will be making an Endorsement soon, and will be asking the candidate that I don’t Endorse to immediately DROP OUT OF THE RACE!”
That statement instantly fueled speculation that the race could effectively end the moment Trump made his choice.
Yet more than two months later, Republicans are still waiting.
Paxton’s Gamble And Trump’s Silence
At one point, reports suggested Trump was leaning toward Cornyn. The Atlantic reported that Cornyn’s stronger-than-expected finish in the first round may have impressed Trump allies who feared a prolonged and expensive Republican civil war while Democrats gained momentum ahead of the general election.
Democratic state Rep. James Talarico has already emerged as a growing Democratic focus in the race, adding another layer of concern for Republicans worried about internal division.
Paxton quickly responded by publicly tying himself even more closely to Trump’s political priorities.
“The SAVE America Act is the most important bill the U.S. Senate could ever pass, and I’m committed to helping President Trump get it done,” Paxton wrote on X. “I would consider dropping out of this race if Senate Leadership agrees to lift the filibuster and passes the SAVE America Act.”
The SAVE America Act has become one of Trump’s major legislative priorities. The proposal would require proof of citizenship when registering to vote and would also mandate photo identification for voting.
However, the measure faces enormous hurdles in the Senate because Republicans lack the 60 votes needed to overcome a filibuster. Senate Majority Leader John Thune has repeatedly rejected calls to eliminate the filibuster entirely, saying there is insufficient Republican support to do so.
Paxton’s strategy may have helped delay Trump’s endorsement further. Despite Trump originally saying he would weigh in “soon,” 65 days passed with almost complete silence from the president on the race until his latest comments this week.
Why Trump’s Endorsement Could Decide Everything
Inside Republican politics, Trump’s endorsement record remains extremely powerful.
Of the 119 candidates Trump has endorsed in races already decided this year, only six have lost. That track record has turned his backing into one of the most valuable political assets in the Republican Party.
Political analysts now believe the timing of Trump’s decision could be just as important as the endorsement itself.
Rice University professor and University of Houston pollster Mark P. Jones pointed to past Texas races where Trump waited until the final moments to endorse candidates.
“Donald Trump set a precedent with his endorsement of (Texas Comptroller nominee) Don Huffines and (incumbent Texas Agriculture Commissioner) Sid Miller… where he was willing to wait until the last day of early voting to make his endorsement known to the public,” Jones said. “That turned out to be too late for Sid Miller.”
Early voting in the runoff begins May 18, while election day is set for May 26.
Jones warned that Republicans should not assume Trump will move quickly.
“One would assume that if he is going to endorse, he would do so before the start of early voting,” Jones said. “But in this case… until dawn on election day, May 26, we can’t actually rule out (a) Donald Trump endorsement.”
That uncertainty has transformed the Texas Senate runoff into something larger than a normal Republican primary. It has become a test of Trump’s political instincts, his influence over the party, and whether either Cornyn or Paxton can survive long enough to secure the endorsement both men desperately want.
