Trump won a Texas runoff and endorsed Ken Paxton ahead of the victory over Sen. John Cornyn. At a Cabinet meeting, Trump said Paxton’s win was a prelude to success in the November midterms. Republican operatives warned that Trump’s tightening control of the party could make it harder to stop Democratic gains as voters grow dissatisfied with his second term and the economy. They cited Trump’s handling of Americans’ financial worries, including trade disruptions and the ongoing conflict with Iran. Trump also said concerns about November play no role in negotiations with Tehran, focusing only on preventing Iran from developing a nuclear weapon. A strategist warned against a haphazard exit from Iran that could give Iran a win and worsen oil and gas prices. Trump showed no hesitation about backing Paxton despite concerns about his vulnerability due to scandals.
"Trump is on a winning streak in Republican primaries, most recently endorsing Ken Paxton ahead of his Tuesday runoff victory over Sen. John Cornyn in Texas. The president bragged at his Cabinet meeting Wednesday that Paxton's romp "was a prelude" for success in the November midterms. But Trump's tightening grip on his party could make it harder to hold back Democratic advances as Republicans face a broader electorate that has soured on his second term and the economy."
"The risk is compounded, Republican operatives say, by how cavalier the billionaire president has been in addressing Americans' financial worries, which have been exacerbated by Trump's trade roller coaster and his ongoing war against Iran. And the president gave them new material to worry about when he said concerns about November are playing no part in his negotiations with Tehran. "They thought they were going to out-wait me. You know, 'We'll out-wait him. He's got the midterms,'" Trump said while surrounded by top administration officials. "I don't care about the midterms.""
"The only priority, he said, was keeping Iran from developing a nuclear weapon. Republican strategist David Urban, a Trump ally, acknowledged the president's approach is making things harder for his party. "It's going to be a tough fall unless things dramatically change," Urban said. He warned that Trump cannot afford a haphazard exit from Iran to resolve a conflict that has created a chokehold on global oil supplies and driven gas prices higher for Americans. "You do not want to give the Iranians a win just because of the midterms," he said."
"Trump, meanwhile, offered no second thoughts about backing Paxton over Cornyn. Senate Republican leaders have feared that Paxton would be the more vulnerable nominee because of years of scandals, but the president insisted on social media that the Texas attorney general will "become a fantastic, common sense Senator, one who is""
Read at Fortune
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]