President Donald Trump told NBC News on Saturday that he’s still mulling a potential endorsement in the competitive Republican primary for a Senate seat in Texas.
Sen. John Cornyn is facing Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in a May 26 runoff after a close contest on the first ballot.
“I’ll let you know that over the next week or so,” Trump said in a phone interview when asked if he’s going to endorse Cornyn. “I like him. I always liked him.”
He said he thinks he’ll make a decision in the next week.
“A lot has to do with the SAVE America Act. A lot is going to determine — Republicans have to get that passed, because that will secure voting in this country,” Trump said.
Both candidates are vying for Trump’s endorsement. Paxton has championed abolition of the legislative filibuster to pass the Trump-backed election bill.
Earlier this week Cornyn abandoned his long-standing support for the Senate filibuster, the 60-vote rule to pass most bills, saying he’ll support “whatever changes to Senate rules that may prove necessary” to pass the SAVE America Act.
“I very much appreciate that he is” in favor of nixing the filibuster, Trump said of Cornyn. When asked if Cornyn’s move had won him over, he said, “I don’t know, but we have to get it passed.”
Trump also said he’s not convinced Cornyn is the GOP’s best chance to hold the Senate seat.
“I’ve heard that. I don’t know. I mean, I don’t know. I don’t know that to be a fact,” Trump said. “But I like him. I’ve always liked him. I like both candidates very much.”
He said he isn’t worried about Paxton being unelectable.
“No, I think they both win,” Trump said, while calling Democratic nominee James Talarico “so weak.”
And he didn’t directly say what would motivate him to endorse one candidate or the other, saying that “a lot” is going to have to do with the SAVE America Act.
The legislation, which has passed the House, is coming up for consideration in the Senate next week. It is highly unlikely to pass because Republicans don’t have the votes to get rid of the filibuster, nor do they have a viable path around the 60-vote hurdle.
It would overhaul election laws in all 50 states, requiring proof of citizenship for a person to register to vote and a photo ID to cast a ballot whether in person or by mail. It does not include a ban on mail-in voting or other anti-transgender provisions that Trump has recently demanded.
“In addition to that, it’s no men playing in women’s sports, which is very important. No mail-in voting. You have to have ID for voting, a picture ID for voting,” Trump said.
