John Cornyn (left) and Ken Paxton (Getty Images)
AUSTIN, Texas - Texas AG Ken Paxton says he would consider dropping out of the U.S. Senate runoff election if Congress passes the SAVE America Act, which would require proof of citizenship to vote.
The social media announcement comes the same day the Republican candidate said he would stay in the race even if President Donald Trump endorses Sen. John Cornyn, Paxton's runoff opponent and bitter GOP rival in the past several months of ruthless campaigning.
Paxton considers dropping out
The latest:
Paxton says the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act, nicknamed SAVE America, is the most important bill the Senate could possibly approve. In contemplating dropping out of the runoff if it passed, the state attorney general took another jab at Cornyn, dubbing him a coward for declining support of ending the Senate filibuster.
Cornyn, who's been supportive of the voter ID bill, has not shared an opinion on abolishing the filibuster, the Texas Tribune reports.
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What they're saying:
"The Save America Act is the most important bill the U.S. Senate could ever pass, and I'm committed to helping President Trump get it done," Paxton said in his post on X, formerly Twitter. "I would consider dropping out of this race if Senate Leadership agrees to lift the filibuster and passes the SAVE America Act.
"John Cornyn is a coward who has refused to support abolishing the filibuster to pass this bill. Now, Fake News reporters and the establishment are trying to destroy me with misinformation. The truth is clear: No one has been more loyal to Donald Trump than me—fighting the stolen 2020 election, being in Mar-a-Lago when he announced his 2024 campaign, and standing with him in NY in the face of lawfare. For the good of our country and for the good of passing President Trump's agenda, I am determined to help him get this done."
The other side:
Cornyn responded later Thursday in an X post of his own:
"I repeat what I have consistently said: I support the bill and have encouraged Senate Republicans to get it done."
Paxton's previous refusal to concede
Dig deeper:
Paxton said in a Wednesday interview with right-wing media outlet Real America’s Voice that he is "staying in this race" no matter whom Trump endorses.
Trump announced hours after the primary race was called for a May 26 runoff that he'd be announcing an endorsement "soon." Throughout the primary campaigning, he had withheld an endorsement, saying instead that he equally backed Cornyn, Paxton and third-place challenger Rep. Wesley Hunt (R-Texas), who's since conceded.
Trump says he’ll endorse Texas Senate candidate ‘soon’
After staying out of the Republican U.S. Senate primary, President Donald Trump said Wednesday he’ll weigh in "soon."
The president said in his post to Truth Social that he expected the candidate he did not endorse to "immediately DROP OUT OF THE RACE," also taking a stab at Democratic nominee James Talarico, a state representative from Austin. Trump referred to Talarico, who garnered more than 1.2 million votes Tuesday night, as an "easy to beat, Radical Left Opponent."
Politico reports that Trump reacted to Paxton's prior resistance to dropping out with disappointment.
What they're saying:
"Well, that’s bad for him to say," Trump said. "That is bad for him. So maybe, maybe that leads me to go the other direction."
The Source: Information in this article comes from public social media posts made by state and federal lawmakers, as well as the Texas Tribune, Politico and previous FOX Local reporting.