Another Rough Runoff Night for Trump Detractors – PJ Media

May 27, 2026

Top O’ the Briefing

Happy Wednesday, dear Kruiser Morning Briefing friends. The Sine Qua Non Sequitur is spending the day providing sweater vests to disgruntled sociology professors who’ve had previous complaints about Canada.

The alternative universe that the “journalists” at The New York Times and The Washington Post write about is filled with stories about an ever-widening rift in the MAGA movement. Accoding to the fiction, people on the right are becoming disenchanted with President Trump. I keep looking for signs of it in the real world and have not yet been able to find any.

In fact, it looks like Trump’s influence in the Republican Party is stronger than ever. GOP candidates that the president endorsed have been cleaning up in recent primaries and runoff elections. Last week we discussed the Democrats’ excitement about Texas Senate candidate James Talarico. Some polling showed Talarico looking good against Republicans Senator John Cornyn and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who were facing each other in a runoff.

I got quite a few emails and comments after that the Republicans simply needed to get the runoff election behind them in order to begin focusing on Talarico. Well, that happened last night, and the contest wasn’t even close. This is from Catherine:

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, a hardcore MAGA warrior endorsed by President Donald Trump, has won the Republican Senate primary run-off race against incumbent Sen. John Cornyn.

The biggest race of Primary Election Day 2026 in Texas was between Cornyn and Paxton. After a long period of widespread speculation, Trump finally declared a week ago that he was backing the Texas attorney general to win the Senate primary runoff. “Ken Paxton has gone through a lot, in many cases, very unfairly, but he is a Fighter, and knows how to WIN… KEN PAXTON WILL NEVER LET YOU DOWN!” Trump wrote.

It was a real blowout. Paxton dispatched the 24-year incumbent Cornyn with 63.9% of the vote. I believe that qualifies as a “resounding” victory. The hope now is obviously that Paxton can take that momentum and run roughshod over the Democrats’ “Turn Texas Blue” fantasy. Talarico doesn’t really do himself any favors on the campaign trail, which Catherine also covered.

There was more good news out of Texas last night. As my RedState colleague Nick Arama wrote, infamous tantrum-thrower Representative Al Green was an electoral victim of redistricting in his race against Christian Menefee. That was another trouncing as well. We will no longer have to put up with the spectacle of Green being escorted by security from a Trump speech. His frivolous impeachment days are over too. Green’s lopsided loss would indicate that Democrats aren’t going to miss him much either.

The Republicans are going to need President Trump to have a lot of clout to keep the voters excited for the midterms. The GOP often finds the apathy of its own voters to be the toughest opponent in elections. Motivation shouldn’t be a problem, given how clinically insane that the Democrats are these days. Anyone who’s been hanging around the Republican Party for a long time can have a difficult time shaking the “With friends like these, who needs enemies?” feeling.

Despite the party’s historical embrace of dysfunctionality, the Republicans are moving along pretty well of late. Redistricting battles have been breaking their way, President Trump’s still got it, and the MSM rumors of MAGA’s demise are greatly exaggerated.

The pieces are falling in place to prevent Hakeem Jeffries from getting a promotion next year.

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The Mailbag of Magnificence

Ron J. kicks things off today:

Dear Mr K:
You don’t realize how good Carson was at what he did, until you see today’s late night bozos not doing it. If some network just started at the beginning and re-ran one of his shows every night, I’d be there for it.
Cheers,
Ron

I spent a lot of time with my paternal grandparents when I was a kid. They were late-night people, and I’d watch Carson with them every weeknight when I was visiting. The good news is that there is a lot of Carson content on YouTube. There’s a good list of where to find clips and episodes at Just Watch.

Friend of the Briefing Jonathan S. writes:

Thanks for those brief, sincere, and poignant words regarding our US veterans. As a military retiree myself, it means more than I can say just to see a “thank you” on days like this. I for one really appreciate it and thanks again.

I’m glad you appreciated it. The MB doesn’t get the Monday holidays off, and I’ve always thought it was not appropriate to do a “normal” post on Memorial Day.

We will finish with this from longtime MB Comments section denizen Kevin:

Kruiser, I’ve been waiting for just the right issue to write to your Magnificent Mailbag as opposed to commenting below the Morning Briefing. Thanks for tossing a soft pitch right down the middle! “Let’s Dispel the Lie That President Trump Is Polarizing” Donald J Trump is the most polarizing person on the planet! He has singlehandedly divided all of humanity into two distinct groups – those afflicted with TDS and those who are not. There is no middle ground. I think even the President himself would be disappointed if he was described as non-polarizing. He spends a great deal of his time and energy on Truth social prodding and provoking the media, celebrities and world leaders, and it’s not in an effort to join them in a harmonious kumbaya chorus. People either love him or hate him. The “meh” group is infinitesimally small. That is the definition of polarizing. Then again, maybe you just wanted to follow up the long Memorial Day weekend with some good, old fashioned Trumpian trolling… My best to you Stephen! I love reading your work and I hope to see your stand-up routine if you’re ever in the Sunshine State!

I do see your point. I think what bugs me is that so much of what the TDS-sufferers point to as reasons that President Trump is polarizing just aren’t true. And I hate to make excuses, but yesterday was the first anniversary of a young cousin’s death. I was in contact with a lot of family and pretty distracted by that all day. Well, that was an excuse. I assure you that I wasn’t trolling.

Thanks to everyone who wrote in!

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POTUS Press Today

WEDNESDAY, MAY 27, 2026

In-Town Pool
TV Corr & Crew: ABC
Secondary TV Corr: Bloomberg TV
Photos: AP, AFP, NYT, Reuters, Getty
Print: Axios
Secondary Print: AP
Radio: FOX
New Media: Frontlines

EDT:
9:00 AM In-Town Pool Call Time

8:00 AM THE PRESIDENT participates in Executive Time
The White House
Closed Press

11:00 AM THE PRESIDENT participates in a Cabinet Meeting
Cabinet Room
White House Press Pool

3:00 PM THE PRESIDENT participates in a Policy Meeting
Oval Office
Closed Press

4:00 PM THE PRESIDENT participates in a Policy Meeting
Oval Office
Closed Press

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