Karl Rove: Trump says he'd blame Rove if Ken Paxton loses in Texas

President Donald Trump said in a Truth Social post that if Ken Paxton loses the Texas Senate race, “it will be because of WEAK and INEFFECTIVE Political Hacks like John Cornyn and Karl Rove,” the president wrote, according to CNBC and The Texas Tribune.

Trump singled out Karl Rove by name in the post and accused Rove and Sen. John Cornyn of “doing everything possible to make it hard” for Paxton to beat Democratic nominee James Talarico, CNBC reported.

A dimly lit campaign office with an empty volunteer table scattered with unbranded yard signs and coffee cups, a laptop open to social media feeds, a single chair pulled back as if recently vacated

The Texas Tribune reported the Truth Social message on Oct. 15 and noted Trump urged Cornyn’s backers to “immediately switch” support to Paxton; the piece also said early voting in Texas begins Oct. 19 and that polls show Talarico holding single-digit leads over Paxton.

Both outlets placed the remark in the context of a tight, high-spending contest: CNBC wrote that the race has become “one of the most competitive battlegrounds of the 2026 midterm cycle” and cited AdImpact figures saying GOP spending has topped $370 million so far in the contest.

An empty, generic ballot drop‑box area outside a polling place at dusk, orange streetlights and no logos, a single campaign flyer on the ground blurred in foreground

Karl Rove’s views on the race have been public: The Texas Tribune reported Rove told an audience in September that the Senate contest “would be over” if Cornyn had beaten Paxton in the primary and pointed to allegations from Paxton’s 2023 impeachment trial that have affected public opinion.

The article added that Cornyn has not endorsed Paxton and in August said he would not move money toward Paxton’s campaign, describing Paxton as a “poor campaigner,” the Tribune reported.

This coverage follows reporting that shows the race is competitive: CNBC linked to polling that places Talarico ahead by low‑to‑mid single digits, and the Tribune noted polls showing single‑digit leads for the Democrat as early voting approaches.

For readers tracking related developments, reporting on Paxton’s campaign and legal history is available in the site’s archive, including summaries of Paxton’s legal and political battles and recent polling in the race.

Sources

CNBC — reported Trump’s Truth Social post naming John Cornyn and Karl Rove and noted polls showing Talarico leading Paxton.
The Texas Tribune — published Trump’s post, quoted the Truth Social language, and summarized Rove and Cornyn’s positions and polling context.