'Trump at center of simmering feud' as GOP grows nervous over Senate seat: report

The Republican Party leadership is urging Donald Trump to step in and quash a challenge to a senior GOP senator who may face a bruising primary fight for his seat.

According to a report from CNN, Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) has requested the president endorse Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) which could clear the field of challengers in what could be a costly battle for the nomination which could eat up millions of dollars that could be used elsewhere.

The report notes that controversial Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is making rumblings about primarying Cornyn which raises the possibility of a damaged nominee at the end and put the seat at risk.

ALSO READ: ‘I miss lynch mobs’: The secretary of retribution's followers are getting impatient

CNN's Manu Raju and Sarah Ferris wrote, "Adding to Cornyn’s challenges: Texas Rep. Wesley Hunt is now also making moves to enter the GOP primary and has privately contended to White House political advisers that he’s the only one who can win both a primary and a general election, according to a person involved in the discussion."

Thune has made it no secret that he favors his current Senate colleague by telling reporters, "Obviously we’re supporting Sen. Cornyn. He’s done a great job for Texas and for the country. And we need him back.”

The report also notes that the GOP leadership is worried that a "wounded" nominee would be ripe for a loss to former Rep. Colin Allred who may make another run after losing to Se, Ted Cruz (R0TX).

CNN is reporting, "The battle puts Trump at the center of the simmering feud between the party’s insurgent and establishment wings that has dominated GOP primary politics since the 2010 midterms, forcing him to pick sides and risk angering some of his most loyal supporters," adding, "Behind the scenes, multiple conservatives are making the case to Trump’s political team to ditch the long-serving senator — some equipped with private polling showing Cornyn losing in a primary, according to three people familiar with the outreach. They argue Cornyn has lost the GOP base in recent years, after voting with most Republicans and all Democrats to certify Joe Biden’s election win and partnering with Democrats to pass a major gun safety bill, a move that came in the wake of the Uvalde school massacre in 2022."

You can read more here.