GOP WORRIES ABOUT LOSING SENATE MAJORITY AS TRUMP INSISTS ON ACCEPTING QATAR’S JET GIFT!

CALITODAY (May 17, 2025) – Republicans are increasingly concerned that a bitter Senate primary in Texas next year could jeopardize their efforts to maintain control of the U.S. Senate.

Earlier this week, the Senate Leadership Fund released a poll showing Senator John Cornyn (R-Texas) trailing Attorney General Ken Paxton (also a Republican) by 16 points. However, in a hypothetical general election matchup, Paxton loses to former Congressman Colin Allred (D-Texas) by one point, as Allred considers entering the 2026 Senate race.

Cornyn and his allies argue that if Paxton secures the GOP nomination, Republicans will be forced to divert more resources to defend the seat at a time when they hope to expand their Senate majority.

“The main concern is that nobody wants to spend a fortune in Texas — a race we should win,” Cornyn told The Hill, noting that recent polling shows Paxton trailing Allred.

“This would be the first time since 1994 that a Democrat could win, and we’re not going to let that happen,” the senator added.

Senator Tim Scott (R-S.C.), chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, has set a target of 55 GOP Senate seats in the upcoming midterms, focusing on flipping Georgia, Michigan, and New Hampshire, while defending GOP seats in Maine, North Carolina, and Ohio.

Many Republicans fear Paxton’s nomination could derail that strategy. “I just hate to see intraparty warfare in my state. It’s going to cost a lot of money and take focus away from other Senate races we could win,” said Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas), who previously served as deputy attorney general under Cornyn when the latter was Texas’s attorney general.

Cornyn’s allies argue there’s still time to close the gap and change the dynamics of the race.

“They need to reintroduce the senator to voters — he hasn’t been on the ballot in six years,” said a national GOP staffer. “Voters don’t know who Ken Paxton is.”

Cornyn’s camp has already begun attacking Paxton, releasing a digital ad accusing him of approving $7.1 million in funding for liberal-leaning groups.

Paxton, a rising figure in the far-right conservative wing of the party, is viewed in Washington as a controversial figure due to a long history of legal troubles, including now-dismissed securities fraud charges, allegations of corruption, and an impeachment by the Texas House.

This wouldn’t be the first time in recent memory the GOP has lost a deep-red state Senate seat after a messy primary. Just eight years ago, former Senator Doug Jones (D-Ala.) defeated Republican Roy Moore in Alabama’s 2017 special election after Moore faced multiple sexual misconduct allegations.

Some Republicans cite the losses of other ultra-conservative candidates, such as Kari Lake, who lost to Senator Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) in Arizona.

However, Paxton’s supporters argue the GOP should reject the narrative that he’s unelectable and would hurt other races.

“The Texas Senate race is a $100 million race. It doesn’t matter who’s on the ballot,” said a senior Paxton campaign adviser, referencing Senator Ted Cruz’s 2012 primary win over then-Lt. Governor David Dewhurst.

“No one said the same about Ted Cruz,” the adviser added.

Cruz defeated Dewhurst in the primary despite being outspent and Dewhurst having institutional GOP backing.

Cornyn has faced warning signs from the GOP base in recent years.

In 2022, he helped lead the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act through Congress after the Robb Elementary School shooting in Uvalde. He was later booed at the Texas GOP convention and formally censured by the Collin County GOP.

While Cornyn and the Texas GOP appear to have moved forward — with state party chair Abraham George calling Cornyn an “ally” this month — many Republicans fear it’s too little, too late.

“The grassroots booed him off the stage in 2022 for ‘giving up’ their Second Amendment rights to the Biden administration, and those feelings haven’t changed — that’s reflected in the polling,” said Paxton’s adviser.

Allred, who worked with Cornyn on the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act while in the House, criticized the senior senator in an interview with journalist Tara Palmeri this week.

“I know John Cornyn, and I know what he really believes in. In many ways, I think he’s abandoned much of that. After all these years in the Senate, he decided that reelection mattered more than staying true to his values and representing Texas authentically,” Allred said.

Allred also criticized Paxton, calling him “particularly damaging to our state, our reputation, and ineffective as a potential senator.”

A GOP strategist, speaking anonymously and skeptical of Cornyn’s ability to win the primary, described the Texas race as a dilemma for the GOP, citing Paxton’s weakness with general election voters.

“Ken Paxton may be the only Republican in Texas who, if placed on the ballot, would put the seat in real jeopardy,” the strategist said.

“Panic level? Nine out of ten,” the strategist added. “This is a five-alarm fire.”

That panic, however, hasn’t yet reached the conservative grassroots.

“Many donors and operatives have concerns, but activists and voters look at the race and believe the Republican will win — so they’ll back whoever best aligns with their values. For many, that’s Cornyn; for others, it’s Paxton,” said Texas GOP strategist Brendan Steinhauser, who ran Cornyn’s 2014 campaign but is neutral in this race.

Meanwhile, another Republican may shake up the race. Rep. Wesley Hunt (R-Texas) is considering entering and has spoken with the White House about the possibility, according to a source. The Senate Leadership Fund poll shows Hunt capturing 19% in a three-way race with Cornyn and Paxton. In a direct matchup with Allred, Hunt leads by four points.

“I think that’s pretty great, right?” Hunt told The Hill about the poll. He said he’s “keeping all options open.”

“Publicly, I love my district,” he added. “I’m in a great position. When you’re holding aces, it’s easy to make decisions. We’ll see how things unfold.”

One of the biggest unknowns in the race is whether President Trump will endorse. Paxton is seen as aligned with the MAGA movement and close to Trump, while Cornyn, though critical of Trump in the past, has largely supported his Senate agenda. Earlier this month, Cornyn’s office released a memo showing he voted with Trump “over 99% of the time.”

A Wall Street Journal report this week showed the White House isn’t hesitant to get involved in Senate primaries. The outlet reported that Trump’s team shared a poll with Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) showing her trailing Senator Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.) by nearly 20 points.

“The White House being silent on Cornyn speaks volumes,” said the anonymous GOP strategist.

“Cornyn can’t win a primary, and Paxton jeopardizes the seat. It’s a terrible outcome for the White House, the president, and frankly the vice president — under whose watch they don’t want Texas to fall to Democrats,” the strategist added.

TRUMP BLASTS WALMART FOR PRICE HIKES!

On Saturday, May 17, President Trump criticized Walmart over its decision to raise prices this week due to high costs linked to Trump’s own trade war policies.

“Walmart should STOP blaming tariffs as the reason for rising prices across the board,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “Walmart made BILLIONS last year — far more than expected.”

“Between Walmart and China, as the saying goes, ‘ABSORB THE TARIFFS’ — and don’t charge loyal customers,” he added. “I’ll be watching — and so will your customers!!!”

On Thursday, Walmart announced plans to raise prices as soon as next month to offset costs tied to Trump’s aggressive tariff agenda.

“We always work to keep prices as low as possible, and that won’t change,” a Walmart spokesperson told The Hill. “We will keep prices low for as long as possible given the narrow retail margins.”

The retailer did not issue profit guidance for Q1 due to economic uncertainty as experts warn about long-term negative impacts on U.S. consumers.

Walmart CEO Doug McMillon also highlighted the challenge of thin retail margins during Thursday’s earnings call but said the company can’t “absorb all the pressure” from tariffs.

On Thursday, the company reported Q1 profits fell to $4.45 billion or 56 cents per share, down from $5.10 billion or 63 cents per share, according to the Associated Press.

Trump’s Saturday post came after his administration reversed course earlier this week, cutting tariffs on Chinese imports from 145% to 30% for 90 days. China responded by reducing its retaliatory tariffs from 125% to 10%.

This marks another major shift in Trump’s trade policy, including selective tariff exemptions for China, a 25% tariff on Canada and Mexico (mostly returned to previous terms), and a 90-day pause on “reciprocal” tariffs for dozens of countries.

TRUMP INSISTS ON ACCEPTING QATAR’S GIFTED JET

In a Friday interview, President Trump again defended accepting a luxury Boeing 747-8 jet from Qatar’s government to replace Air Force One, dismissing bipartisan criticism as “leftist nonsense.”

“I just want to say, it’s a far-left story,” Trump told Bret Baier of Fox News in Abu Dhabi during his Middle East tour this week. “People here — to show you how ridiculous this is — they wanted me to pay a billion dollars.”

“I got a good deal,” he added.

The Boeing 747-8, previously used by the Qatari royal family and estimated to be worth at least $400 million, was donated to the Pentagon for temporary Air Force One use during Trump’s presidency and will eventually be displayed at Trump’s future presidential library.

The deal has raised ethical and security questions from lawmakers on both sides, with Trump accusing Baier of piling on.

In the interview, Trump insisted he would not personally benefit from the gift — saying it was a gift to the federal government, and the plane would be “old” by the time it’s transferred to his archive. He cited Ronald Reagan’s Air Force One displayed at his library in Pasadena, California.

“This plane is going to the U.S. Air Force for whoever is president, and at some point, like with Ronald Reagan’s, it will be retired and displayed,” he said.

Reagan’s plane was transferred to the Reagan Foundation in 2001, three years before Reagan’s death at age 93 and 12 years after leaving office. The current Air Force One Boeing 747s were commissioned during Reagan’s presidency.

The Pentagon already has a contract with Boeing for two new Air Force One aircraft.

“We need a plane in the meantime before those are ready because Boeing is very slow,” Trump said. “They’ll be able to retire this one quickly.”

He emphasized the new Air Force One planes will be “ready by then,” when the Qatar jet is retired to his library.

“And they’ll be brand-new aircraft, etc.,” Trump added.

Earlier, Trump said it would be “stupid” to reject the expensive foreign gift, saying he was uncomfortable with the idea of the U.S. president flying in an unimpressive aircraft compared to other world leaders.

“When you look at a brand-new 747 and compare it to a 42-year-old plane, they’re not even close. The others are bigger, shinier, sleeker. It doesn’t look good,” he told Baier on Special Report.

He also said he spoke with Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani about the gift and the backlash in the U.S. during a press conference earlier this week.

“I think he was actually offended,” Trump said. “He gave a gift to help people who once helped them.”

– Hạnh Dương