Karl Rove shrugs off Trump’s warning amid Texas GOP race drama
Select a version of the text written from a presumed ideological perspective. This is not the original text, but a hypothetical version — how someone with that viewpoint might have phrased it. Tapping the current version again will return to the original or select cleaned version.
Republican strategist Karl Rove said he was not concerned by President Trump's claims that he and Sen. John Cornyn were weakening Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton's Senate bid.
Longtime Republican strategist Karl Rove dismissed President Donald Trump’s recent criticism of him and Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) over the Senate race of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. Trump had accused the two of hindering Paxton’s campaign on his Truth Social account, alleging they were working against the GOP candidate.
Rove responded on Fox News’ "The Guy Benson Show," suggesting Trump was looking for a scapegoat after Paxton’s campaign faced setbacks, including a leaked audio clip in which Paxton blamed the president’s foreign policy for his declining poll numbers. The New York Times reported that Paxton’s Democratic opponent, James Talarico, was leading in recent polls.
"It sounds like he thinks Paxton is going to lose, and he’s looking for somebody to blame," Rove said.
"And if I’m weak and ineffective, how could I have done anything to diminish the power of the man who won 96% of Texas counties? I don’t know what the president’s talking about, and with all due respect, I really don’t care," he added.
The exchange underscores the familiar friction inside the Republican coalition as the midterm election nears.