Steve Bannon has criticized two of Donald Trump's top campaign aides for supporting incumbent Senator John Cornyn in the upcoming Texas Republican Senate primary, while backing Attorney General Ken Paxton. Trump plans to visit Corpus Christi, Texas, on Friday without endorsing any candidate, as Paxton, Cornyn, and Representative Wesley Hunt are expected to attend. The primary is set for Tuesday, with polls showing Paxton in the lead.
The Texas Republican Senate primary has exposed divisions within the MAGA movement ahead of Tuesday's vote. Steve Bannon, a prominent MAGA supporter, is fully backing Ken Paxton, portraying the race as a battle for the soul of the movement. "The Paxton situation is critical, because he has been the MAGA guy since Day One," Bannon told POLITICO. He added that Paxton "is a symbol of the heart of the grassroots MAGA movement."
Bannon's criticism targets Tony Fabrizio, Trump's top pollster, who is working for Cornyn's campaign, and Chris LaCivita, a senior adviser to the pro-Cornyn super PAC Texans for a Conservative Majority. From a rented ranch in North Texas, Bannon stated, "My belief is the Trump team should have stayed out of this race, absolutely."
LaCivita responded sharply, texting POLITICO: "Associating with Senator Cornyn is better than being a lacky [sic] for Epstein," referencing Bannon's ties to the late Jeffrey Epstein, as revealed in Justice Department documents released in January. Those documents showed extensive exchanges between Epstein and Bannon during Epstein's political influence efforts in Europe. Bannon has called for an independent investigation into the files but did not comment on LaCivita's remark.
President Trump is scheduled to appear at the Port of Corpus Christi on Friday to discuss energy policies, including the recent approval by Energy Secretary Chris Wright for increased natural gas exports from the site. All three candidates—Cornyn, Paxton, and Hunt—are expected to attend, but Trump has remained neutral. Earlier this month, he said he supports "all three." A White House official told POLITICO that "the president is neutral until he’s not," noting that "John Cornyn votes with the President."
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt emphasized that Trump looks forward to returning to Texas to tout his 'Drill Baby Drill' agenda and discuss the economy. The National Republican Senatorial Committee, supporting Cornyn, highlighted his work with Trump: "No one has worked harder than John Cornyn and President Trump to reinvigorate our economy and lower costs for families, workers, and small businesses," said NRSC Communications Director Joanna Rodriguez.
Paxton's campaign is backed by Turning Point Action, while polls indicate he leads, though a runoff on May 26 is possible if no candidate secures a majority. The GOP nominee will face either Representative Jasmine Crockett or state Senator James Talarico in the general election.
