President Donald Trump's endorsement will be "powerful" in the Texas U.S. Senate GOP primary runoff between incumbent Sen. John Cornyn and state Attorney General Ken Paxton, Rep. Roger Williams, R-Texas, told Newsmax on Thursday.
Appearing on Newsmax's "Wake Up America," Williams said Trump's backing could play a decisive role as the two Republicans compete for the party's nomination in one of the nation's most closely watched Senate races.
"His endorsements are powerful. Everybody wants to have the president's endorsement," Williams said.
Cornyn and Paxton advanced to the May 26 runoff after neither candidate secured a majority in Tuesday's Texas Republican primary, setting up a high-profile intraparty battle.
Trump has indicated he plans to weigh in on the race, according to reports, fueling speculation about which candidate will receive his support.
Williams said both men are capable leaders and longtime acquaintances.
"There are two good men. They're both good friends of mine," he said. "They both would make a great senator."
Cornyn, a longtime Republican leader in Washington, has served in the Senate since 2002, while Paxton has built a strong following among conservative voters as Texas attorney general.
Despite the heated GOP contest, Williams expressed confidence that Republicans will retain the Senate seat in November regardless of who wins the runoff.
Democrats have nominated state Rep. James Talarico, whom some observers believe could make the race competitive. Williams dismissed that possibility.
"Texas didn't go anywhere but red," he said. "The liberal media reports that it's changing — it's this and that — but we're a very conservative state and we're going to be that way for a long, long time."
Williams also criticized Talarico's policy positions, saying they would not resonate with Texas voters.
"He's anti-Israel, he's anti-illegal immigration, and he wants to raise taxes," Williams said. "That's a bad message in Texas."
The congressman said Republicans remain confident heading into November's general election, even though the runoff could temporarily divert resources that might otherwise go to other competitive races across the country.
"Anytime you have a runoff, you attract more assets," Williams said. "But Texas isn't going anywhere but red."
During the interview, Williams also weighed in on developments in Washington, where lawmakers are debating a war powers resolution tied to U.S. military strikes against Iran. The Senate rejected a similar measure Wednesday.
Williams said he expects the House to follow suit and give Trump the authority needed to manage the conflict.
"I think we're going to vote to give President Trump the latitude he needs to run this conflict," Williams said. "The Senate did the right thing."
He also urged Congress to pass funding for the Department of Homeland Security, warning that political disputes over immigration enforcement are unnecessarily affecting critical agencies such as the Coast Guard.
"We need to fund DHS and move on," Williams said. "It's pretty simple."
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Charlie McCarthy ✉
Charlie McCarthy, a writer/editor at Newsmax, has nearly 40 years of experience covering news, sports, and politics.
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