Trump’s MAGA Inc. Commits $10 Million to Texas Senate Race as Republicans Urge Greater Spending

The political action committee aligned with President Trump announced a $10 million television and digital ad buy in the Texas Senate race, according to a Federal Election Commission filing on Saturday.The spending, first reported by the Associated Press, marks MAGA Inc.’s first major investment in a general election contest this cycle amid growing concern within the Republican Party over a seat once considered safe.The Texas attorney general and Republican nominee, Ken Paxton, faces Democrat James Talarico, a 37-year-old state representative whose strong fundraising has put the race in play.Mr. Trump endorsed Mr. Paxton in the primary, helping him defeat incumbent Senator John Cornyn in a May runoff. Despite that backing, Mr. Trump has yet to commit to a broader financial push for Mr. Paxton — a point of mounting frustration among Senate Republicans.MAGA Inc. holds approximately $800 million in campaign funds, according to the Houston Chronicle. Speaking to reporters on Friday, Mr. Trump made clear he views those dollars as his to deploy on his own terms.“I’m going to spend whatever amount of money necessary to try and help us,” Mr. Trump said. “This is my money,” he added, noting it was “separate” from funds controlled by the Republican National Committee. Mr. Trump also suggested he could hold a portion of the funds in reserve for the 2028 elections “if that’s what I want.”Senate Republicans have grown increasingly vocal about the need for Mr. Trump to open his war chest. Senator John Kennedy of Louisiana told Fox News last week: “We in the Senate don’t have the money budgeted for Texas. We need help from the president.” Senate Majority Leader John Thune of South Dakota echoed that sentiment, noting that advertising in Texas costs roughly $8 million per week across its 20 media markets. “Because Texas is such a big state, we’re going to need the president and his team to be engaged there and putting resources into that race,” Mr. Thune said on Fox News.Despite the pressure, Mr. Trump has been candid about Mr. Paxton’s shortcomings as a candidate, even as he continues to praise his record in office.“It’s so insulting to him, but I might as well say it: You might not like the way he looks, you might not love his look, you might not love his television interviews, but he was the best attorney general in the country, perhaps,” Mr. Trump said Wednesday at a White House event on the midterm elections.Mr. Paxton has a long history of loyalty to Mr. Trump. In December 2020, he filed a lawsuit with the Supreme Court challenging Joe Biden’s victories in Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin — a case dismissed within three days. He also spoke at the Stop the Steal Rally in Washington, D.C., on January 6, 2021.Broader political headwinds are complicating Republican efforts nationwide. Public disapproval of Trump over the economy and the Iran war has weighed on GOP candidates, and Democrats are hoping to capitalize in the midterms — with Texas seen as a key indicator of how far the electoral map may have shifted.

Trump’s MAGA Inc. Commits $10 Million to Texas Senate Race as Republicans Urge Greater Spending

Trump’s MAGA Inc. Commits $10 Million to Texas Senate Race as Republicans Urge Greater Spending

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