President Donald Trump used the Republicans’ midterm convention in Dallas to promote Texas Republican Senate nominee Ken Paxton, even as he mocked Paxton onstage for a second consecutive night. With two months remaining in Paxton’s close race against Democratic nominee James Talarico, Trump and allied groups are directing major financial support toward Paxton’s campaign.
Trump told the convention crowd in Paxton’s home state that he did not like how Paxton looked, drawing laughter, before praising him as “our greatest attorney general” and saying he deserved election to the U.S. Senate. Paxton responded by smiling and later appealed directly to the audience, saying, “I need your prayers, your votes and your support.”
Financial support has begun arriving from several prominent groups. MAGA Inc., Trump’s super PAC, announced last week that it would spend $10 million. America PAC, which is connected to Elon Musk, has spent $250,000, while the Senate Leadership Fund contributed about $43 million on Friday.
Trump endorsed Paxton before Paxton defeated four-term incumbent Sen. John Cornyn in the May primary runoff. The endorsement came despite objections from Republican leaders, including Thune, who viewed Cornyn as a stronger candidate than Paxton, the state attorney general who has faced scandals.
The outcome carries significant political consequences for Trump and the Republican Party. A Paxton victory would be presented by supporters as evidence of Trump’s political judgment and influence over the party. A defeat would make Paxton the first Texas Democratic Senate winner since 1988 and could expose Trump to criticism that his assistance came too late or was insufficient.
Trump’s convention remarks followed similar criticism the previous week in the Oval Office, where he said some people objected to the way Paxton dressed, interviewed or spoke. Paxton nevertheless accepted the public teasing while seeking the votes and financial backing needed for the final two months of the campaign.