Donald Trump's surprise endorsement of Ken Paxton through his Truth Social has thrust a record of political scandal, a nationally condemned remark about the Uvalde massacre, and a divorce filed on scriptural grounds back into the spotlight just one week before Texas votes.
The announcement marked a sharp rebuke of the Senate GOP establishment, which had spent months lobbying Trump to support Cornyn as the safer general election candidate.
It also renewed public attention on a man whose career has survived a 2023 state impeachment, a settled securities fraud indictment, a federal corruption probe, and a public divorce his wife filed on grounds rooted in Scripture.
Paxton's 'God Has a Plan' Remark After the Robb Elementary Shooting
On 29 May 2022, just days after a gunman killed 19 children and two teachers at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, Paxton gave a radio interview with conservative radio host and pastor Trey Graham.
Asked what comfort he would offer grieving families, Paxton said: 'I would just have to say, if I had the opportunity to talk to the people, I'd have to say look, there's always a plan. I believe God always has a plan. Life is short no matter what it is.' The interview was surfaced publicly by Salon in June 2022.
The backlash was immediate. Fred Guttenberg, whose daughter Jaime was killed in the 2018 Parkland school shooting, posted a direct response on social media: 'How dare you justify your failures by saying 'God has a plan' and 'Life is short no matter what.'' Paxton's office did not issue a retraction or clarification.
At the time, Paxton also appeared on Fox News and Newsmax to call for arming teachers rather than new gun legislation. 'We can't stop bad people from doing bad things,' he told Fox News. 'If they violate murder laws, they're not going to follow gun laws.'
The Divorce Filing Rooted in Adultery and Scripture
On 10 July 2025, Texas State Senator Angela Paxton filed for divorce from her husband of 38 years in Collin County court, ending a political partnership that had spanned dozens of campaign events, a $2 million personal loan that funded her own Senate seat, and the full two weeks of his 2023 impeachment trial.
In her public announcement on X, Angela Paxton wrote: 'Today, after 38 years of marriage, I filed for divorce on biblical grounds. I believe marriage is a sacred covenant and I have earnestly pursued reconciliation. But in light of recent discoveries, I do not believe that it honours God or is loving to myself, my children, or Ken to remain in the marriage.'
Today, after 38 years of marriage, I filed for divorce on biblical grounds.
— Senator Angela Paxton (@AngelaPaxtonTX) July 10, 2025
I believe marriage is a sacred covenant and I have earnestly pursued reconciliation. But in light of recent discoveries, I do not believe that it honors God or is loving to myself, my children, or Ken to…
The formal divorce petition, obtained by CNN, alleged adultery and stated the couple had not lived together as spouses since June 2024. The infidelity allegations were not new. During Paxton's 2023 impeachment trial, his former chief of staff testified that Paxton had confessed an extramarital affair to colleagues and his wife in 2018.
A woman with whom Paxton was allegedly involved was brought to the Capitol to testify but was ultimately deemed unavailable before taking the stand. Angela Paxton attended all two weeks of the trial as a state senator, though Senate rules barred her from voting due to her conflict of interest as his spouse.
The 2023 Impeachment and the Legal Record Paxton Carries Into the Race
In May 2023, the Republican-led Texas House of Representatives voted 121-23 to impeach Paxton on 20 articles of misconduct. The charges alleged he abused his office to benefit political donor Nate Paul, retaliated against whistleblowers who reported him to the FBI, and obstructed justice in his own securities fraud case.
Proceedings began after Paxton requested approximately £2.6 million ($3.3 million) in taxpayer funds to settle a lawsuit brought by four of his former top deputies. In the settlement, Paxton apologised but did not admit fault.
The Texas Senate acquitted Paxton of all 16 articles tried in September 2023, falling short of the 21 votes required to convict on any single charge. No article drew more than 14 votes against him. Two Republican senators, Bob Nichols and Kelly Hancock, voted to convict on at least one count.
The federal corruption probe, which had run parallel to the state trial, was closed by the Justice Department in late 2024 or early 2025. His 2015 securities fraud indictment was dismissed in 2025 after he agreed to pay nearly £235,000 ($300,000) in restitution and complete community service.
Trump Overrides Senate Leadership in the Most Expensive Primary on Record
The Texas Republican Senate primary has been described by campaign finance trackers as the most expensive in American history, with over £98 million ($125 million) in advertising spent across both campaigns according to media tracking firm AdImpact.
Cornyn entered the runoff ahead of Paxton, having won 42 per cent of the first-round vote on 3 March 2026 to Paxton's 40.5 per cent. Neither reached the majority threshold, sending the race to a 26 May runoff. A poll from the Hobby School of Public Affairs at the University of Houston, conducted between 28 April and 1 May, found Paxton leading Cornyn 48 per cent to 45 per cent among likely runoff voters.
Trump's endorsement posted Tuesday dismayed senior Senate Republicans. 'I don't understand,' Senator Susan Collins of Maine said in public remarks. 'John Cornyn is an outstanding senator and deserved, in my judgment, the president's support.' Senate Majority Leader John Thune, who had endorsed Cornyn, told reporters he did not control Trump's decisions.
A week before polls close on 26 May, Trump's intervention has turned Paxton's record of scandal into something Republican primary voters are being asked to treat as proof of loyalty, not disqualification.
