The National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) is scrambling to protect Sen. John Cornyn of Texas as he faces a major challenge from Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.
Axios reported on a frantic call from the NRSC in which leaders of the RINO slush fund group attempted to strong-arm potential primary opponents of Cornyn under the guise of protecting the Republican House majority.
“No other candidates for Senate in these states, declared or posturing, should receive financial support from the donor and PAC communities until they have made the smart decision to remain in the House and defend the president’s margins there,” NRSC political director Brendan Jaspers said during the conference call.
In addition to protecting Cornyn, the NRSC is also attempting to push former Congressman Mike Rogers as the Senate candidate in Michigan shortly after losing last year’s U.S. Senate race. Rogers is aggressively attempting to MAGA-wash his neocon record to quash grassroots rage over his attempted coronation as Michigan’s U.S. Senate candidate.
“Leader Thune and Chairman Scott have been clear that the NRSC’s goal is to protect President Trump’s Majority in the Senate, and they know Mike Rogers and John Cornyn are the best candidates to do that in their respective races,” NRSC spokesperson Joanna Rodriguez said.
Paxton announced last month that he will be challenging Cornyn in what will be the most credible challenge against an incumbent RINO in the U.S. Senate in recent years.
“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 told Fox News’ Laura Ingraham. “And that’s what I plan on doing.”
Paxton touts impressive MAGA credentials to the U.S. Senate race. He was the author of the lawsuit that attempted to overturn election fraud in the 2020 presidential election. This led to an RINO coup against Paxton in which President Trump stood up for the embattled AG during an impeachment attempt that ultimately failed.
The RINOs of Texas thought that coming after Paxton would ruin his political ambitions but in actuality the attacks have only made him stronger. The MAGA base has rallied around Paxton, believing him to be their champion because he has endured a similar lawfare process that was deployed against President Trump. Paxton is seen as a battle-tested warrior with an ax to grind against the elites.
Initial polls indicate that Paxton is crushing Cornyn among Texas U.S. Senate primary voters. One poll commissioned by Democrats shows Paxton with a 20-point lead over Cornyn. Another internal Republican poll shows Paxton leading Cornyn by 17 points. Texas Republicans are already encouraging Cornyn to step down in order to avoid embarrassment.
“If I was an incumbent senator with these types of polling numbers, I probably wouldn’t run because you can’t win,” said State Sen. Paul Bettencourt of Houston.
Thus far, Cornyn has shown a stubborn unwillingness to back down but that may change in the weeks to come as the campaign gets uglier. PACs backing Paxton’s candidacy for U.S. Senate are already releasing brutal campaign ads against Cornyn, pointing to his record as a Biden collaborator, gun control advocate and the tremendous backlash from Texas Republicans at a state convention.
The NRSC is scrambling because they are losing control over the Republican Party. Their RINOs are overwhelmingly unpopular, and the NRSC’s only play to keep them in office is scaring off primary challengers. Due to the political climate, their threats are ringing hollow and only exposing the vulnerability of their nexus of control.
Before President Trump’s revolution took over the GOP, it was easy for the NRSC to use its special interest dollars to dupe primary voters into supporting phony candidates. The NRSC could tip the scales and their influence was virtually insurmountable. But too many Americans have been awakened to the nature of the federal beast and all the glossy fliers and TV ads in the world cannot get them to go back to sleep.
The Republican Party deserves robust primaries to get the strongest possible candidates for the 2026 midterm elections. If Cornyn and his cronies are defeated, it will send a forceful message to the Washington D.C. swamp that betraying the will of the people will have serious consequences. This is how the Republican Party heals itself, and those with the courage to repel the tactics of groups like the NRSC – like Ken Paxton – will be rewarded by the masses.
