WASHINGTON — A blistering new attack ad from a super PAC backing Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in that state’s bitter Senate race charges that incumbent John Cornyn “betrayed” President Trump as both men seek the chief executive’s backing in the May 26 runoff.
“John Cornyn betrayed President Trump but helped Joe Biden install the most corrupt attorney general in American history,” a voice narrates the attack ad from the Lone Star Liberty PAC.
“Cornyn defended rogue prosecutor Jack Smith and said ‘President Trump, himself, was to blame,’” the ad continued. “Cornyn even attacked House Republicans for investigating [Manhattan DA] Alvin Bragg’s false charges, but he supported [former FBI Director] James Comey.”
Back in 2023, Cornyn raised concerns about Trump’s bid for the GOP nomination, telling reporters: “I think President Trump’s time has passed him by.”
At the time, Republicans were frustrated with their weaker-than-expected performance in the 2022 midterms after several Trump-endorsed candidates lost winnable races. Cornyn also praised 2024 GOP presidential hopeful Nikki Haley, who mounted what turned out to be the most sustained challenge to Trump for the nomination.
Lone Star Liberty PAC also highlighted Cornyn’s vote to confirm then-President Joe Biden’s attorney general Merrick Garland, whom the senator claimed was committed to “keep politics out of the Justice Department.”
Also in 2023, Cornyn called the indictment against Trump for hoarding national security documents “very serious” and noted that the matter was “out of his hands” and for the courts to decide.
The attack ad further spotlighted Corny calling Comey “a good and decent man” while nudging House Republicans not to get too bogged down defending Trump after he was indicted by Bragg on charges of falsifying business records.
“After saying for two weeks he would win without a runoff, Ken Paxton finished second in the primary and as a result he’s now desperately attacking Sen. Cornyn,” senior Cornyn campaign adviser Matt Mackowiak told The Post in response to the ad.
“Texans know the facts: Sen. Cornyn was the Senate vote counter who passed President Trump’s legislative agenda in the first term, and he has voted with him 99.3% of the time while he’s been President,” Mackowiak added.
“Ken Paxton has massive baggage due to his many ethical failings and outrageous personal conduct, and he risks the entire statewide ballot if he is the nominee.”
Cornyn narrowly received the most votes in the March 3 primary, but came up short of the majority support needed to win the GOP nomination outright.
Shortly after the primary, rumors spread that Trump was on the verge of endorsing Cornyn, leaks which reportedly agitated the president.
After Trump announced last week that he would ask whichever candidate he didn’t endorse to leave the race, Paxton said he would be willing to drop out if Senate Republicans agreed to roll back the filibuster and pass Trump’s prized SAVE America Act, which would require proof of citizenship to vote in federal elections.
On Wednesday, Cornyn penned an op-ed for The Post calling for a weakening of the filibuster to pass the SAVE America Act and end the shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security.
Later that day, he went viral when confronted by an NBC reporter about his past support for the filibuster, with the senator responding by waving his hand in the camera and telling her: “I think we’re through, go away.”
Senate GOP leadership, the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC), and Trump’s senior 2024 campaign adviser Chris LaCivita have all pushed the president to back Cornyn, who they say is more electable and whose nomination would free up Republicans to spend money elsewhere.
