Senate GOP leaders have rallied around Texas Republican Sen. John Cornyn in his hotly contested primary, suggesting he has the best chance of holding the seat and urging President Donald Trump to endorse him.
While it hasn't worked — Trump remains uncommitted ahead of the March 3 contest — the lobbying campaign shows the president's continued dominance of the GOP, something Trump reveled in recently when asked about the Texas race.
"They say whoever I endorse wins," Trump told reporters on Feb. 1 at his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida. "That’s probably right."
As Trump's broader political power dims amid backlash to his aggressive second term, it burns brightly in the GOP primaries that kick off next month and run through the early fall. How Trump uses it could have a big impact on the 2026 midterm election, the president’s last two years in office, and beyond, setting the direction of the GOP for years to come and framing the president's legacy.
Trump has long wielded his endorsements as a cudgel to purge the party of those he clashed with, such as former Rep. Liz Cheney and former first-term Trump Attorney General Jeff Sessions. That continues to be the case.
