GOP leaders fret as Trump sits out the party's nastiest primary battles -- with Senate control on the line

Source: CNN Politics

Updated Feb 8, 2026, 9:51 AM ET
PUBLISHED Feb 8, 2026, 7:00 AM ET


Top Senate Republicans are ratcheting up pressure on President Donald Trump to pick a side in the party’s nastiest primary battles before it’s too late, with anxiety spiking as the midterm cycle threatens to turn sour for the GOP.

GOP leaders are making a last-ditch push for Trump — who has relished his status as kingmaker for nearly a decade — to get off the sidelines and save potentially hundreds of millions of dollars set to be spent on a mission to save Sen. John Cornyn in Texas and to help clear the field in Georgia, according to a half-dozen Republican lawmakers and campaign operatives. The fear: The money will drain critical resources that could be spent elsewhere as Democrats now see a narrow but clear path to net the four seats they need to win the majority.

The rising concerns come as Republicans stare down mounting midterm problems across their Senate map, with the party now forced to defend traditionally red turf in states like Alaska and even Iowa. Meanwhile, the party has watched Trump pick sides in other contested primaries that have caused internal tensions, like in Louisiana, where he endorsed against the Senate GOP incumbent over a personal grudge.

The GOP’s primary problem is felt most acutely in Texas, where Cornyn is just over a month out from a three-way primary race that seems destined to head to a costly two-month-long runoff. And if he loses, senior Republicans fear it could cost at least $200 million to defend the seat in Texas if state Attorney General Ken Paxton emerges as the party’s nominee, according to multiple GOP sources.

Read more: https://www.cnn.com/2026/02/08/politics/trump-primary-endorsements-senate-house-republicans