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WASHINGTON − President Donald Trump said he plans to make an endorsement imminently in the Texas Republican primary Senate runoff after declining for months to name his preferred GOP candidate in the critical midterm race."I think MAGA has never been more together," Trump told reporters during a tour of the construction site of his planned White House ballroom. "I'm going to making an endorsement today in Texas. I'm going to be putting an endorsement out in a little while."Early voting is already underway in the primary runoff between incumbent Sen. John Cornyn and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. Election Day is May 26. The winner will take on Democratic nominee James Talarico, a Texas state representative who has mounted a well-financed campaign in the historically red state.Trump said he plans to make his endorsement around 12:30 pm ET or 1 pm ET.The president has held off endorsing in the primary runoff, which pits the establishment-backed Cornyn versus Paxton, who is widely seen as more popular among Trump's MAGA base.Polls show Talarico performing slightly better in a hypothetical matchup against Paxton, who was impeached on bribery charges by the Texas House in 2023 and was more recently accused of infidelity by his wife. Yet Trump runs the risk of upsetting some of his core base supporters if he endorses Cornyn.And a poll conducted April 17-20 by the nonpartisan Texas Public Opinion Research found Talarico ahead against both Republicans: a 44%-41% advantage over Cornyn and a wider 46%-41% lead over Paxton.
