Trump flexes his political muscle over GOP as Democrats see midterm opening in key red state
PLANO, Texas - Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, after trouncing longtime GOP Sen. John Cornyn to capture the Republican Senate nomination in the right-leaning Lone Star State, credited the 11th...
By Fox News · Fox News
PLANO, Texas - Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, after trouncing longtime GOP Sen. John Cornyn to capture the Republican Senate nomination in the right-leaning Lone Star State, credited the 11th hour support he landed from President Donald Trump for his win. "The president's endorsement is the most valuable endorsement in this country," Paxton said in an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital minutes after delivering his victory speech in Tuesday's primary runoff election. The brute force of the president's endorsement power and the immense grip he has on the Republican Party was once again on display in the Texas showdown, but his heavy hand could cause repercussions as the party tries to hang onto its slim House and Senate majorities in the November midterms. That's especially the case in Texas, where Paxton now faces off against state Rep. James Talarico — a rising star in the Democratic Party — in a general election race that is among a handful that may decide if the Republicans hold their 53-47 majority in the upper chamber. WATCH: WHAT PAXTON TOLD FOX NEWS DIGITAL MINUTES AFTER WINNING THE REPUBLICAN SENATE NOMINATION Tuesday night's major headline was Trump successfully flexing his political muscles to exert payback on Republicans who defy him, and testing the power of his endorsements in GOP nomination races. TRUMP-BACKED NOMINEES DOMINATE PRIMARY CONTESTS AS PRESIDENT TIGHTENS PARTY VICEGRIP The Texas runoff election was held three weeks after Trump's purging of five state senators in Indiana's primary who opposed his push for congressional redistricting. That was just a week-and-a-half after the president pushed to oust Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana — who, five and a half years ago, voted to convict Trump in his second impeachment trial. Trump was also instrumental this month in sending vocal GOP critic Rep. Tom Massie of Kentucky down to defeat in his re-election bid. After sitting on the sidelines for months in the more than year-long Cornyn-Paxton…