Republicans are losing it over Ken Paxton’s win as a Texas flip now seems all but inevitable
This November, nothing is a forgone conclusion
Mark
If Republicans somehow didn’t know they’re on a sinking ship, the Texas primary results probably just proved it.
Last night, Texas AG Ken Paxton ousted Senator John Cornyn, which on the surface looks like another win for Tr*mp. But even though Tr*mp backed Paxton, it could turn out to be a losing gamble in the long run since Paxton’s opponent James Talarico is threatening to snatch everyone’s wig by turning the notoriously red state blue this November.
Tr*mp might be happy for now, but the Republicans are worried that this could cost them their fragile hold on the House, along with their Senate majority.
The Tr*mp-backed Paxton, who fought against LGBTQ+ history being taught in Texas schools and has repeatedly misgendered Admiral Rachel Levine on Twitter, might look good to certain Texas Republicans on paper, but Talarico, a proud member of the LGBTQ+ caucus and defender of trans rights, could look like a breath of fresh air for disenfranchised Texas voters seeking change.
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It’s the second time in as many weeks that a Tr*mp-backed candidate’s victory ended up having less-than-positive consequences for the party at large.
Earlier in the month, when Republicans Bill Cassidy and Thomas Massie lost their primary races after standing up to Tr*mp, they did not go gentle into that good night. Instead, they’re continuing to threaten the American people with a good time for the next seven months before officially leaving office.
Massie is promising to name names from the redacted Epstein files and raise a legitimate ruckus in congress, while Cassidy is personally making sure that Tr*mp’s ballroom and $1.8 billion slush fund never see the light of day.
But that’s just the start of Tr*mp’s problems with his fellow Republicans after last night. Because of Paxton’s many controversies, including a full on impeachment trial and a fraud lawsuit, the party hasn’t been thrilled about Tr*mp’s choice to back the politicians whose scandals have spilled over into the personal realm. Calling Paxton “the most corrupt politician in America,” Talarico is already preparing himself for battle after a rousing speech where he pointed out Paxton’s many missteps.
Paxton and Tr*mp have plenty in common, including accusations of using their political office for personal gain. But for Republicans already wary of just how delicate their majority currently is in the House, Paxton’s nomination is a great thing for Tr*mp and a bad thing for the rest of the party. Next to Paxton, Talarico looks like a breath of much-needed fresh air in Texas, which is exactly what Mike Johnson and his fellow goons are worried about.
To make matters even more complicated, Tr*mp is about to have some other problems in the South, where a red sweep was formerly on lock before this week. Between the news of Alabama’s Supreme Court refusing to honor the redrawn map that threatened to erase Black voting power and South Carolina also throwing out the redistricting scheme, Tr*mp’s plans to disenfranchise minority voters is starting to blow up in his face. They can gut the historic Voting Rights Act of 1965, South Carolina said, but we don’t have to comply with the racist results.
The key takeaway is this: even though Tr*mp and his Republican majority are working overtime to steal the votes they know they won’t get in the midterms, the people are onto the scheme, and they won’t comply.
Tr*mp may have the money and the power to get his favorites elected, but no amount of money or influence can change the fact that he’s alienated voters with his war and the rising cost of living—to the tune of a mind-boggling 60% disapproval rating.
For the GOP, it’s going to take more than gerrymandered maps and Tr*mp-backed politicians to turn this ship around.
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