(TheLibertyRevolution.com)- One Republican candidate for attorney general in Texas got a big boost when he received an official endorsement from former President Donald Trump.
On Monday, the former president announced he will be supporting incumbent Ken Paxton for the role of attorney general in Texas. It’s not altogether surprising that Trump would support a powerful incumbent in a conservative state.
What has grabbed headlines is the fact that one of Paxton’s main rivals in the upcoming GOP primary is George P. Bush, the son of Jeb Bush, the former governor of Florida who ran for president against Trump in 2016.
In a statement released Monday, Trump said:
“Ken has my Complete and Total Endorsement for another term as Attorney General of Texas. He is a true Texan who will keep Texas safe — and will never let you down!”
Paxton was likely very energized by Trump’s official endorsement. In addition to facing a lot of backlash for various allegations of corruption and misgivings, he is facing off against a powerful political families whose ties to the Republican Party run deep. His uncle and grandfather were both presidents.
Paxton has steadfastly remained a Trump supporter, and he is known as one of the most ardent members of that wing of the GOP around the country. The Texas AG filed a lawsuit that challenged Trump’s loss in the 2020 presidential election. The Supreme Court ultimately declined to hear the case.
Bush, meanwhile, is banking on the legal woes mounting against Paxton as something that could ultimately take down the incumbent at the polls.
Paxton is facing a potential trial because of allegations of both abusing the power of his office and securities fraud. These allegations have even caused Texas Republican Representative Chip Roy to call for Paxton to resign from his position.
Not long after Trump endorsed Paxton, Bush fired back with a tweet saying Texans deserve to have an attorney general represent them who doesn’t have any legal problems. He tweeted:
“I’m running for Attorney General because Texans deserve integrity and honesty from the office of Texas’ top law enforcement official. Texans deserve a candidate without a laundry list of existing and potential criminal incidents.”
Up until this point, Bush was trying to gain Trump’s endorsement himself. He certainly understands the power that the former president’s endorsement can bring, along with all his supporters who are likely to flock to the polls.
The younger Bush did this despite the fact that Trump jarred and feuded with his father, Jeb, a lot during the 2016 GOP presidential primary. The younger Bush has even publicly supported Trump as well, prompting the former president to say at one point:
“This is the only Bush that likes me. This is the Bush that got it right. I like him.”
That gave Bush and his supporters some hope that Trump might endorse him for Texas AG. That ultimately didn’t happen, though.
