Trump signaled that he had all but settled the decision on whom he will back in Texas’ March 3 Republican Senate primary, but he refused to make the endorsement official as he traveled to Corpus Christi for the first out-of-Washington trip since Tuesday’s State of the Union. In remarks Friday, President Donald Trump said he was “pretty much” decided on the endorsement, yet he left the candidates and the public without a named choice. Instead, he spotlighted each of the three Republicans running to replace retiring Sen. John Cornyn: Ken Paxton, Cornyn and Rep. Wesley Hunt.
During the event, Trump acknowledged Paxton first, calling him a “great attorney general” and asking “Where’s Ken? Hi, Ken.” He then turned to Cornyn, describing him as “a great senator” and addressing him directly as “Hi, John.” Trump added that they were in a “little bit of a race,” and told the crowd, “It’s going to be an interesting one, right? They’re both great people.”
Trump’s remarks also included praise for Hunt, whom he introduced as “Another friend of mine who is doing very well, Wesley Hunt. Wesley Hunt, what a good job.” The approach underscored the stakes of the endorsement for the March contest, even as Trump held back the one decision that could consolidate support heading into voting day.
The Texas primary fight is already highly personal, with Cornyn seeking a fifth term and facing competition from Paxton and Hunt. The campaigns have tried to link themselves to Trump as they ramp up efforts in the final stretch, while Cornyn’s team gained visibility earlier when he flew to Texas on Air Force One and posted photos from the trip on social media.
Beyond the endorsements, Trump also used the Corpus Christi visit to reprise themes from his State of the Union address, emphasizing economic prosperity and national security. He highlighted changes he said were associated with U.S. energy production and said gas prices had fallen in connection with the Port of Corpus Christi, then broadened into remarks including asides about GLP-1 drugs and criticism of Democrats, along with unsubstantiated claims about voting.
In the background of the political rally, an Energy Department action was tied to the same event area. Ahead of Trump’s visit, Energy Secretary Chris Wright authorized a 12% expansion in liquefied natural gas exports at Cheniere Energy’s Corpus Christi terminal, which the report described as the second-largest LNG export project in the United States.
Democrats, meanwhile, seized on affordability and cost-of-living concerns. After Trump’s remarks in Corpus Christi, Ken Martin, the chairman of the Democratic National Committee, said Trump called affordability a “fake word” and “hoax” while “spends his time building gilded ballrooms,” adding that Texas families were seeing costs rise, health care become more expensive and jobs disappear at one of the highest rates in the country.
Part of the timing pressure comes from the mechanics of Texas primaries. If no candidate reaches 50% in the March 3 primary, the top two finishers will advance to a May 26 runoff. Cornyn, Paxton and Hunt have also been spending aggressively: Cornyn’s campaign and allied groups have poured more than $63 million into the race since last fall, with much of the spending aimed at slowing Paxton and, more recently, attacking Hunt to prevent him from reaching the runoff.
The report also described how Republicans in Washington are watching the outcome. Senate Majority Leader John Thune and Sen. Tim Scott, chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, have urged Trump to endorse Cornyn, arguing that the party could face an expensive defense in November if Paxton becomes the nominee. “It is a strong possibility we cannot hold Texas if John Cornyn is not our nominee,” Scott said on Fox News Wednesday.
The wider politics of Trump’s Texas trip extended beyond the Senate primary. Trump pointed out other lawmakers at his remarks in Corpus Christi, including Rep. Tony Gonzales, and he made an after-speech stop at a Whataburger where he told patrons, “Hamburgers for all!”