President Donald Trump caught the Republican establishment off guard Tuesday when he endorsed Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, his longtime ally and friend, instead of incumbent Sen. John Cornyn before voters finish casting their ballots next week in the Texas runoff for the Republican Senate nomination.
Cornyn, who’s in the toughest fight of his political life to keep his seat, had not been expecting Trump to issue an endorsement.
According to a source with knowledge of the matter, as late as Monday afternoon, Senate leaders believed Trump was going to stay out of the race, especially with the runoff just a week away.