President Trump has endorsed all but three of the 22 Senate Republicans running for reelection in 2026, notably leaving out incumbents who have crossed him at some point in their careers.
The non-endorsements of GOP Sens. Susan Collins of Maine, John Cornyn of Texas and Bill Cassidy of Louisiana speak volumes.
But Mr. Trump went a step further over the weekend and endorsed a potential challenger to Mr. Cassidy.
The president said on social media that he heard Louisiana Rep. Julia Letlow is considering launching a Senate campaign and offered her a preemptive endorsement to encourage her bid.
“Run, Julia, run!!!” he said in all-capital letters.
Mr. Trump praised Ms. Letlow as a “highly respected” congresswoman and “a great star.”
“I know Julia well, have seen her tested at the highest and most difficult levels, and she is a total winner! A Proud Mother of two children, Julia is a wonderful person, has always delivered for Louisiana, and would continue doing so in the United States Senate.”
Ms. Letlow has not yet announced a campaign but she hinted at one in a post saying she is “honored to have President Trump’s endorsement and trust.”
“My mission is clear: to ensure the nation our children inherit is safer and stronger,” she said. “This United States Senate seat belongs to the people of Louisiana, because we deserve conservative leadership that will not waver.”
Mr. Trump did not mention Mr. Cassidy in his post endorsing Ms. Letlow, nor did the senator mention the president in his response.
“I’m proudly running for re-election as a principled conservative who gets things done for the people of Louisiana,” Mr. Cassidy said. “If Congresswoman Letlow decides to run, I am confident I will win.”
Mr. Cassidy has worked to mend his relationship with the president after voting in 2021 to convict Mr. Trump on an impeachment charge of inciting an insurrection at the Capitol on Jan. 6.
He was one of seven Senate Republicans to do so, including Ms. Collins and Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska. The other four have since retired.
Ms. Murkowski won reelection in 2022, despite Mr. Trump endorsing her primary challenger, Kelly Tshibaka.
Ms. Collins is up for reelection this year and although she has not yet formally announced her campaign, she has made it clear she is running.
Mr. Trump is not expected to endorse her. He recently criticized Ms. Collins for voting to block him from taking further military action against Venezuela without congressional approval, saying she and the other Republicans who did so should never be reelected.
The president has also not endorsed either of Ms. Collins’ Republican primary challengers, former police officer Daniel Smeriglio or restaurant owner Carmen Calabrese.
The president’s non-endorsement could be a boost for Ms. Collins in the swing state of Maine.
But in deep-red Texas, it could hamper Mr. Cornyn’s chances of surviving a contested Republican primary on March 3.
The most recent poll in the race from Emerson College Polling/Nexstar Media found Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton narrowly leading with 27% support over Mr. Cornyn with 26% support and Rep. Wesley Hunt with 16%. Another 29% were undecided.
“Neither Ken Paxton nor John Cornyn appears positioned to reach 50% on the primary ballot, as the Republican electorate remains sharply divided,” said Spencer Kimball, executive director of Emerson College Polling. “With Wesley Hunt gaining traction at 16%, a runoff between the two candidates now appears likely in May.”
While Mr. Cornyn never voted to convict Mr. Trump on impeachment charges, he was critical of him after the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot and initially urged the party to consider alternative presidential candidates for the 2024 election.
Senate Republican leaders have asked the president to endorse Mr. Cornyn because they believe the incumbent has the best shot at winning the general election.
They also don’t want to waste party campaign resources in Texas with more competitive races on the 2026 ballot.
The Emerson College/Nexstar poll showed Mr. Paxton deadlocked in head-to-head matchups against the two main contenders for the Democratic nomination, state Rep. James Talarico and U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett.
Mr. Cornyn and Mr. Hunt both held a three-point edge over Mr. Talarico and a five-point lead over Ms. Crockett.
