Trump’s May primary scorecard: From the Politics Desk

From the Politics DeskTrump’s May primary scorecard: From the Politics DeskPlus, the forgotten war. Listen to this article with a free account00:0000:00Add NBC News to GoogleKornacki: You don't see incumbents ‘lose by this kind of margin every day' after Cornyn defeat19:33Get more newsLiveonShareAdd NBC News to GoogleMay 27, 2026, 5:15 PM EDTBy The Politics DeskWelcome to From the Politics Desk, a daily newsletter that brings you the NBC News Politics team’s latest reporting and analysis from the White House, Capitol Hill and the campaign trail.Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.In today’s edition, we take stock of President Donald Trump’s retribution campaign this month as Ken Paxton and James Talarico look ahead to the general election in Texas. Plus, Andrea Mitchell digs into an under-the-radar shift in the Russia-Ukraine war. Sign up to receive this newsletter in your inbox every weekday here.— Adam WollnerTrump’s May primary scorecardPresident Donald Trump endorsed 10 challengers to incumbent Republicans in their primaries this month, seeking to further tighten his grip on the party as his poll numbers with the broader electorate continued to sag.The almost-final tally, courtesy of Bridget Bowman: Trump ousted all but two of the GOP lawmakers who had crossed him, with one of the races still too close to call. The latest result came last night in Texas, where state Attorney General Ken Paxton trounced longtime Sen. John Cornyn, 64%-36%, in a primary runoff. Trump endorsed Paxton just one week ago, even after Cornyn narrowly finished first, but short of a majority, in the initial March primary. “I think it made it from a likely Paxton win, even though those of us who’ve been lifelong friends of John Cornyn were hoping for the opposite result, to an overwhelmingly likely win,” said George Seay, a longtime Cornyn friend and donor.“Clearly the president has an impact on the base that has not...