Texas GOP Split as Trump Weighs Cornyn vs. Paxton Endorsement and Cornyn Signals Openness to Ending Filibuster for SAVE Act
As Trump weighs whether to endorse Sen. John Cornyn or his runoff challenger, Attorney General Ken Paxton, Texas Republicans are split, with some MAGA-aligned activists warning an endorsement of Cornyn would be a mistake. Complicating matters, Cornyn has urged Republicans in a New York Post op‑ed to consider scrapping the Senate filibuster to pass Trump’s SAVE Act — a reversal that has drawn criticism from figures including former Sen. Joe Manchin.
📌 Key Facts
- Sen. John Cornyn, who is locked in a runoff with Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, urged Republicans in a New York Post op-ed to consider scrapping the filibuster to pass former President Trump’s SAVE Act, a notable break from his prior stance.
- Cornyn’s op-ed position contrasts with his past floor speeches in which he warned Democrats not to 'nuke' the filibuster.
- Former Sen. Joe Manchin publicly blasted Cornyn on social media for reversing his long-standing defense of the filibuster, accusing him of bowing to 'extreme election-year politics.'
- Manchin said Cornyn had personally thanked him in 2022 for helping defeat Democrats’ attempt to abolish the filibuster under President Biden, and called Cornyn’s new position 'deeply disappointing.'
- Fox News reported these developments and reactions on March 12, 2026.
📊 Relevant Data
According to a 2024 study, 14% of voting-age U.S. citizens of color lack ready access to proof-of-citizenship documents, compared to 10% of White citizens, while 3% of voters of color do not have such documents at all, compared to 1% of White voters.
Millions of US voters lack access to documents to prove citizenship — The Guardian
Strict voter ID laws, similar to proof-of-citizenship requirements in the SAVE Act, have been shown to increase the racial turnout gap, with turnout decreasing more among Black and Latino voters compared to White voters, as demonstrated by county-level data analyses post-2016.
The Impact of Voter Suppression on Communities of Color — Brennan Center for Justice
The 1965 Immigration and Nationality Act, by abolishing national origin quotas, contributed to significant Hispanic population growth in Texas, where the Hispanic share increased from 18% in 1980 to 40.2% in 2022, driven largely by international migration adding over 2 million Hispanic residents between 2010 and 2020.
Shaping Texas: The Effects of Immigration, 1970-2020 — Center for Immigration Studies
In Texas, voters barred from voting due to lack of proper ID under strict laws are disproportionately Black and Latino, with studies showing these groups face higher barriers to obtaining necessary documentation compared to White voters.
The Impact of Voter Suppression on Communities of Color — Brennan Center for Justice
📰 Source Timeline (2)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
- Former Sen. Joe Manchin publicly blasted Sen. John Cornyn on social media for reversing his long-standing defense of the filibuster, accusing him of bowing to ‘extreme election-year politics.’
- Manchin says Cornyn personally thanked him in 2022 for helping defeat Democrats’ attempt to abolish the filibuster under Biden, and now calls Cornyn’s new position ‘deeply disappointing.’
- The article restates that Cornyn, locked in a runoff with Ken Paxton, has now urged Republicans in a New York Post op‑ed to consider scrapping the filibuster to pass Trump’s SAVE Act, a notable break from his past floor speeches warning Democrats not to ‘nuke’ the rule.