"Strategists have also warned that Paxton, a scandal-scarred favorite of Trump's MAGA base, would need more money from top GOP donors than Cornyn would require to defeat the Democratic nominee, James Talarico. Estimates of the added cost of Paxton being the nominee in the general election range from about $80 million to more than $200 million, according to several top strategists, given the Democrats' ability to raise massive sums of money in the state from individual donors if the race is perceived as winnable."
"Senate Majority Leader John Thune told Punchbowl News this morning that an early Trump endorsement 'saves everybody a lot of money.' 'If the president can weigh in, it would make it enormously helpful,' Thune told the outlet."
"Republicans have been working for months to rebuild the relationship between Cornyn and Trump, culminating in an invitation last week for the senator to ride on Air Force One with the president from Washington to a rally in Texas."
Trump's political advisers anticipate he will endorse Senator John Cornyn in the May 26 Texas Republican primary runoff following Cornyn's strong first-round performance against Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. Republican strategists had previously worried Trump might not support Cornyn due to past criticism from the senator. A Paxton nomination would require significantly more funding from GOP donors to compete against Democrat James Talarico in the general election, with cost estimates ranging from $80 million to over $200 million. Senate Majority Leader John Thune stated that an early Trump endorsement would save money and prove enormously helpful. Republicans spent months rebuilding the Cornyn-Trump relationship, including arranging for Cornyn to travel on Air Force One with the president.
Read at The Atlantic
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