As discussed on WarRoom this morning

MAGA media is gearing up to go to battle for Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in his primary fight against mainstream Republican Sen. John Cornyn next year.

Why it matters: The Cornyn-Paxton race is emerging as an early proxy war between the establishment and Trump wings of the party, with some of the party’s biggest bullhorns getting off the sidelines.

• Top MAGA luminaries — working to cement President Trump’s hold on the party and eradicate even the perception of dissent — have expressed skepticism of Cornyn in part due to stances like support for arming Ukraine and a bipartisan gun reform bill. 
• In Paxton, MAGA sees a pro-Donald Trump knife fighter worthy of their support.

Zoom in: Charlie Kirk, the podcaster with close White House ties, had Paxton on his show Wednesday. Kirk knocked Cornyn for “questionable votes” and said that “a warning shot is necessary to make sure the uniparty is put on defense.”

• Steve Bannon, the powerful host of “War Room,” told us he plans to host Paxton on his show and cover the race “a ton,” accusing Cornyn of being the “epitome of the establishment.”

State of play: Cornyn was bullish in the aftermath of Paxton’s announcement, touting his support for Trump’s priorities and panning his opponent’s past legal troubles.

• In 2023, Paxton was impeached but not convicted for allegedly using his office to help an Austin real estate developer and improperly firing some staffers who reported him to the authorities. He also allegedly had an extramarital affair. Paxton denies all the accusations.
• A Cornyn campaign spokesperson panned Paxton as a “fraud” and noted the senator “voted with President Trump more than 95% of current Senators” during the president’s first term.
• “This will be a spirited campaign, and we assure Texans they will have a real choice when this race is over,” the spokesperson said.
• Paxton swatted away Cornyn’s proximity to Trump, saying on Kirk’s show that “he’s going to be a good boy for the next year and a half, and then he’ll go back to being what he is, which is a moderate.”
• The bottom line: Texas has hosted notable proxy wars before, including over Paxton’s impeachment, a school choice push by hardliners and a fight over the state House’s speakership. But it hasn’t seen a fight like this at the federal level at a time when the broader GOP is so beholden to an incumbent president. Cue the fireworks.
• “It’s the Cornyn-Bush faction, the business community that runs Texas versus the grassroots, MAGA, Trump base,” Bannon said

---

Senate GOP leadership has rushed to show support for Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) as he officially faces a serious primary challenge from state Attorney General Ken Paxton.

Why it matters: Cornyn has the GOP campaign operation and an enviable fundraising network on his side. The wild card will be where President Trump and key MAGA influencers land.

• Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) and National Republican Senatorial Committee chair Tim Scott (R-S.C.) have already urged Trump to endorse Cornyn, as CNN first reported.
• GOP operatives have warned the White House that if Paxton gets on the ballot rather than Cornyn, Democrats would have a better chance of picking up the seat — and even taking the majority, a source familiar tells Axios.

Driving the news: “He’s a proven fighter, man of faith, and essential part of the Republican Senate Majority,” Scott said in a statement on Wednesday, after Paxton’s announcement that he would run.

• The GOP Senate campaign arm typically backs incumbents, and Scott told Axios at a recent event the committee again intends to get involved in every primary.
• In addition to Cornyn, Sens. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) and Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) are expected to draw more MAGA primary challengers this cycle.

Zoom in: Thune backed Cornyn immediately after the senator announced his reelection bid. 

• The heavy-hitting Senate Leadership Fund quickly followed.
• “The Senate Leadership Fund fully intends on seeing [Cornyn] reelected next November,” SLF chair Cory Gardner said Wednesday. 

What to watch: Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) said he is staying neutral, rather than banding with leadership to back his Texas colleague.