President Donald Trump reportedly expressed serious regrets about one of his most consequential political endorsements after Republicans suffered a devastating defeat in Texas, according to a new account of the behind-the-scenes disagreements that preceded the 2026 midterm elections.
At the center of the controversy is Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, whom Trump endorsed over longtime Republican Sen. John Cornyn despite repeated warnings from senior party officials.
Paxton ultimately secured the Republican nomination but lost Tuesday’s general election to Democrat James Talarico, handing Democrats a Senate victory in Texas for the first time in decades.
Now, a Wall Street Journal report reveals that Trump had privately questioned whether he made the right decision.
According to advisers who spoke with the publication, the president complained about Paxton’s candidacy and wondered whether Republicans would have faced an easier general election with Cornyn as their nominee.
The reported doubts followed months of internal disagreements over which Republican offered the party a stronger path to victory.
And one of the most prominent Republicans warning Trump about the potential consequences was Senate Majority Leader John Thune.
Thune repeatedly encouraged the president to support Cornyn, a four-term incumbent with decades of experience in Texas politics.
He argued that nominating Paxton could transform a traditionally Republican Senate seat into an expensive and highly competitive general election contest.
The disagreement became particularly intense following the state’s Republican primary in March.
Neither Paxton nor Cornyn secured a majority of the vote, forcing the candidates into a runoff election.
According to the Journal, Trump contacted Thune the following day to discuss his endorsement options.
Rep. Wesley Hunt, who finished third in the primary, also participated in the conversation and argued that Cornyn would be unable to win the general election.
Thune reportedly offered a dramatically different assessment.
He warned Trump that helping Paxton secure victory in November could require between $200 million and $300 million in campaign spending.
Such a financial commitment, Thune argued, could divert valuable Republican resources from other competitive Senate contests.
The discussions reportedly continued for weeks.
At various points, Thune believed he had persuaded the president to remain neutral rather than intervene in the Republican primary.
The Journal even reported that an endorsement statement supporting Cornyn had been drafted but never publicly released.
Ultimately, Trump chose a different course.
In May, the president endorsed Paxton after growing frustrated with Senate Republicans over their failure to advance his preferred voting legislation.
The decision delivered a major political victory to Paxton and his supporters, many of whom had criticized Cornyn for his relationship with Trump and disagreements over Republican policy priorities.
Paxton subsequently defeated Cornyn decisively in the runoff, capturing nearly 64% of the vote.
But the general election presented a different challenge.
Paxton entered the contest facing questions about his personal conduct and previous impeachment proceedings, controversies that Republican officials had worried could become liabilities in November.
Those concerns became particularly significant as Democrats mounted an aggressive effort to capture the seat.
On Tuesday, Talarico defeated Paxton, delivering a historic victory for Texas Democrats and adding to the Republican Party’s losses nationwide.
The outcome renewed scrutiny of Trump’s endorsement decisions and the internal divisions that shaped Republican candidate selection.
However, the president publicly defended his choice even as the election approached.
During an Election Day interview with Fox News, Trump insisted that his complicated relationship with Cornyn had left him little alternative.
“I had no choice. Ken Paxton, he’s a good guy. And I just wasn’t a fan of Cornyn,” Trump said.
He also accused Cornyn of disloyalty, suggesting that their political differences made it impossible for him to support the longtime senator.
Those public remarks contrasted with the private doubts described by Trump’s advisers.
The Wall Street Journal account does not establish that Trump has publicly acknowledged regretting the endorsement.
Nevertheless, the reported conversations provide a revealing look at the divisions that existed within Republican leadership long before voters headed to the polls, per Trending Politics.
Thune and other party officials had warned that selecting Paxton could jeopardize a Senate seat Republicans had controlled for decades.
Trump ultimately backed the candidate he believed commanded stronger support among the party’s grassroots voters.
The decision helped Paxton win the Republican nomination but did not produce a general election victory.
Now, with Democrats having captured both chambers of Congress, Republicans are confronting difficult questions about the decisions that shaped their midterm campaigns.
And Trump’s reported second thoughts about Paxton have become part of a broader debate over whether Republican leaders ignored warnings that could have changed the outcome in Texas.
