‘That’s bad for him to say’: Trump puts Paxton on notice in Texas Senate primary

The president appeared to scold the attorney general.

President Donald Trump speaks during a meeting with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington on March 3, 2026. | Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images

President Donald Trump appears to be leaning toward endorsing Sen. John Cornyn in the Texas GOP Senate primary, issuing a stark warning to state Attorney General Ken Paxton in an interview with POLITICO.

The president, in a brief phone conversation Thursday morning, said an endorsement will be “made pretty soon” before addressing Paxton, who recently said he would not drop out of the race even if Trump endorses Cornyn.

“Well, that’s bad for him to say,” Trump said. “That is bad for him. So maybe, maybe that leads me to go the other direction.”

© Politico