John Cornyn and Ken Paxton trade punches over aid for Ukraine, highlighting Texas GOP split

U.S. Sen. John Cornyn and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton amped up their simmering Republican-on-Republican feud Tuesday with Texas' senior senator taking a one-two punch at the state's top lawyer, calling him a Russian propogandist and a likely defendant in a coming federal criminal indictment.

Paxton, in a salvo of his own, popped Cornyn as a "RINO," short for "Republican in name only," and as a tool of the Democratic Biden administration.

The latest scuffle came after Cornyn backed a $95.3 billion Senate aid package to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan that cleared the chamber early Tuesday but did not address the ongoing immigration crisis at the Texas-Mexico border. Cornyn was among 22 Republican senators who joined most of the Democrats to advance the measure to the House, where it faces stiff GOP opposition.

Paxton, who has hinted at a possible 2026 challenge to Cornyn, if the senator seeks a fifth six-year term, accused Cornyn in a post on X, formerly Twitter, of betraying U.S. interests during the floor debate that extended well into the evening before the vote early Tuesday.

"Unsurprisingly, America Last RINO @JohnCornyn has once again joined hands with the Biden administration to fund and prioritize foreign wars over the national security crisis at the southern border," Paxton posted.

Cornyn, who was Texas attorney general for four years before his election to the Senate in 2002, used the same platform to spotlight the legal difficulties that have plagued Paxton's nine-year stint in the office.

"Ken, your criminal defense lawyers are calling to suggest you spend less time pushing Russian propaganda and more time defending longstanding felony charges against you in Houston," Cornyn wrote, "as well as ongoing federal grand jury proceedings in San Antonio that will probably result in further criminal charges."

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Paxton is scheduled to go on trial April 15 in Houston on state securities fraud charges that led to an indictment eight years ago. A pretrial hearing is set for Thursday. Paxton is also the subject of a whistleblower lawsuit, brought by former top aides who have accused him of abuse of office, that led to his impeachment by the Texas House, followed by acquittal in the state Senate, last year.

Paxton, who has said he's not guilty of the state charges, said earlier this year he no longer wishes to contest the whistleblowers' claims. He is also the subject of an ongoing FBI investigation.

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Matt Mackowiak, a veteran Texas GOP operative and chairman of the Travis County Republican Party, said the back-and-forth between the two statewide elected officials showcases a wider split in the party that has ruled Texas for more than two decades.

"There are two identifiable wings in the Republican Party currently, and Cornyn and Paxton represent those two different wings," Mackowiak said. "Our party is very divided currently. This is a reflection of some of that division, and it's breaking out into the open in a way that is rare."

The sniping between Paxton and Cornyn first drew headlines during the 2022 Republican runoff between Paxton and challenger George P. Bush. Cornyn, who was a close ally of former President George W. Bush, uncle of George P., told reporters at the time that Paxton's ongoing legal challenges were "a source of embarrassment" to the party.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Does fight between John Cornyn, Ken Paxton spell trouble for Texas GOP?