Troy Nehls

Rep. Troy Nehls, R-Texas, told Newsmax on Wednesday that President Donald Trump's endorsement of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in the state's Republican Senate runoff could reshape the race against longtime Sen. John Cornyn, arguing Paxton is the "warrior" Republicans need in Washington.

Nehls, speaking on “National Report,” praised Trump's decision to back Paxton ahead of the May 26 GOP runoff, framing the endorsement as a rejection of establishment Republicans and a boost for Trump's America First agenda.

"I think it was a great endorsement by President Trump," Nehls said. "When I say Ken Paxton is a warrior, not only does the great state of Texas win by having a senator that will put the American people first, but the entire country wins."

Trump formally endorsed Paxton on Tuesday, calling him an "America First Patriot" and "MAGA Warrior" in a Truth Social post, despite pressure from Senate Republicans to back Cornyn, a four-term incumbent.

The endorsement came days before the runoff after neither Paxton nor Cornyn secured a majority in the March Republican primary. The contest has become one of the most expensive Senate primaries in the country and is viewed as a test of Trump's influence over the GOP heading into the midterms.

Nehls criticized Congress for what he described as failing to advance Trump's priorities and said Paxton would help move stalled conservative legislation.

"We need senators up here in Washington, D.C., that will take their job seriously and just truly understand just how important it is to pass meaningful legislation that is supported by the president," Nehls said.

He pointed specifically to the SAVE America Act, which would require proof of citizenship for federal voter registration.

"This is Ken Paxton would be the type of senator that would say, 'Hey, listen, we need to pass the SAVE Act. We must get it done,'" Nehls said. "And John Cornyn has never ... he can sit here and say, 'I voted for Trump 99% of the time.' Listen, he's a fair-weathered friend."

Nehls also dismissed criticism surrounding Paxton's legal and political controversies, including his impeachment by the Republican-controlled Texas House, allegations related to securities fraud and scrutiny surrounding his personal life.

"Ken Paxton was impeached in the House because there's a bunch of RINOs," Nehls said. "But the Texas Senate said we're not going to do it. So he was never convicted of anything."

Paxton was acquitted by the Texas Senate in 2023 after the House voted to impeach him on corruption-related allegations. He has also faced long-running securities fraud allegations that were later resolved through a settlement.

Nehls compared the allegations against Paxton to the criminal and civil cases Trump faced during the 2024 campaign.

"The American people looked at this and said all of these indictments and these trials and stuff, they were no good," Nehls said. "It was all foolish."

The Texas race has drawn national attention because Democrats believe the seat could become competitive in November. Some Republicans have argued Cornyn would be a stronger general election candidate, while Paxton allies say Trump's endorsement will energize conservative voters.

Nehls rejected concerns about Paxton's electability and the cost of defending the seat.

"That's just all a scare tactic," he said.

He also argued Republicans owe their congressional majorities to Trump.

"Donald Trump is the leader of our party," Nehls said. "It's about time we all rally. We all get behind President Trump and his agenda. Ken Paxton will do that."

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