Fox News analyst delivers blunt verdict that Trump endorsement may blow up in his face

Fox News chief political analyst Brit Hume warned that President Donald Trump's endorsement of Ken Paxton in the Texas Republican Senate runoff could hand an opportunity for Democrats to pick up a seat.

Trump threw his support behind Paxton this week in the high-stakes runoff battle following the March primary, when both candidates failed to secure a majority, and Hume opined Wednesday that the president had jeopardized control of the Senate by potentially handing an opportunity to Democrat James Talarico, reported The Daily Beast.

"I think that the seat is now at least in some danger," Hume said.

Hume suggested the president's backing of the controversial Texas attorney general over incumbent Sen. John Cornyn has weakened the party's general election prospects, and his endorsement split Republican leadership: Senate Majority Leader John Thune and the Senate Leadership Fund backed Cornyn, while Trump aligned with MAGA activists, including his former strategist Steve Bannon.

The Republican-controlled Texas House impeached him in 2023 for abuse of office, alleging he misused his authority to benefit Austin real estate developer Nate Paul, who was under federal investigation, and the attorney general also faced accusations of facilitating Paul's hiring of a woman with whom Paxton was allegedly having an affair.

Hume characterized Trump's endorsement rationale as "pretty flimsy" and noted that Paxton's controversial history could alienate segments of the Republican base necessary for a general election victory.

The Wall Street Journal editorialized that Trump "will deserve complete and total credit" if Paxton wins the nomination but loses the general election to Talarico, underscoring the stakes of the president's intervention in an internal Republican battle.

“Look, Texas is still Texas,” Hume said. “Ken Paxton may yet win, but he has a ton of baggage. There’s no doubt about that, and he doesn’t really bring in all segments of the Republican base.”

“Talarico, he’s got some baggage too,” Hume added. “But he’s a slick talker and impresses a lot of people. So, he’s got a shot now that maybe he didn’t have if his opponent had been Cornyn.”