President Donald Trump is taking an increasingly influential role in Republican primaries, using endorsements and public pressure to shape key congressional races ahead of the midterm elections.
Trump’s influence is particularly visible in the Texas Republican Senate primary between Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R).
The president said he plans to endorse one of the candidates and urged the other to drop out once he makes his decision.
Trump has also moved quickly to back candidates in other races. He endorsed Republican Kurt Alme for Montana’s open Senate seat after Sen. Steve Daines (R-Mont.) announced he would not seek reelection.
Earlier in the week, Trump also backed Montana radio host Aaron Flint after Rep. Ryan Zinke (R-Mont.) said he would retire.
Political observers say presidents have long played a role in shaping their party’s primaries, but Trump has taken a more direct and public approach.
Presidential historian Craig Shirley said the strategy can help keep lawmakers aligned with the administration’s agenda. “It helps him with his legislative agenda by keeping them on their toes,” Shirley said.
Trump allies have highlighted the strength of his endorsements. White House deputy chief of staff James Blair said candidates backed by Trump either won their primaries or advanced to runoffs in recent contests.
At the same time, the Texas Senate race has become a major test of Trump’s influence. Paxton said he plans to remain in the race regardless of Trump’s endorsement, arguing that Cornyn has not represented Texas voters well.
Trump responded to Paxton’s comments in an interview with Politico, saying: “That’s bad for him to say. That is bad for him. So maybe, maybe, that leads me to go the other direction.”
Republican campaign operatives say Trump’s involvement can help unify the party and allow candidates to focus earlier on the general election, though contested primaries in key states still pose risks for the GOP.
