U.S. Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Austin, cautioned his party not to nominate Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton for U.S. Senate.
“What I tell people on my side of the aisle on this primary is: ‘Look, we could nominate a candidate where we could lose this Senate seat,’” said McCaul, who has endorsed and fundraised for Cornyn.
Speaking at the inaugural KUT Festival in Austin, McCaul said he’d vote for Paxton if the attorney general wins his GOP primary runoff against Sen. John Cornyn. But other Texas Republicans he’s polled may not.
“Paxton has way too much liability, too much baggage. John Cornyn is a man of integrity,” McCaul said. “I think there’s more for the Democrats to hit on, far more than John.”
Paxton underwent an impeachment trial in 2023. He was acquitted of allegations of corruption and bribery. Paxton has also sought to keep records related to his divorce from state Sen. Angela Paxton sealed from the public.
McCaul, 64, is in his last term in Congress after serving in the House of Representatives since 2005. He chaired both the House Foreign Affairs and Homeland Security committees during that time. He told the audience that he is unlikely to run for office again.
Speaking to former Texas Tribune CEO Evan Smith, now director of events at The Atlantic, in a crowded brewery over the live sounds of local band J’cuuzi, McCaul appreciated how the scene was unique to his district.
“This is classic Austin, we got a concert and a yard sale going on between this conversation,” McCaul said at Central Machine Works.
McCaul chalked up his departure from Congress in part to “knowing when to let go of power,” but also to what he sees as a political environment that’s increasingly hostile to bipartisanship.
“It’s not in style or vogue to work across the aisle to get good things done for the country,” McCaul said.
Political violence and Iran
Smith asked McCaul about the rise in political violence, citing the assassination of a Minnesota state lawmaker last year, the 2022 attack of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband, Paul Pelosi, and the recent shooting attempt at the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner, which McCaul attended.
“It starts at the top,” Smith said. “Do we have someone at the top who understands the consequences of the messaging that may very well give a permission structure to political violence?”
“You can only hope that after three assassination attempts now on his life that he would understand that,” said McCaul, referencing President Donald Trump.
Smith also asked why the House of Representatives has not been a “check” on the president regarding the war in Iran. McCaul responded that Congress is in an awkward position to take action at the moment because of the conflict’s current ceasefire.
Smith noted that when Democrats in the House pushed a war powers resolution, McCaul did not support it.
“We were entering into a ceasefire, and I think that would be very disruptive to our negotiations with Iran,” McCaul said.
McCaul said he’d prefer for any president to seek congressional approval before starting a war.
“I think it’s better for the president to ask Congress for the authority so people are saying, ‘Yes, we support this.’ That’s always a better strategy,” he said.
McCaul said he supported military action to keep Iran from getting a nuclear weapon. But he warned that any plan would require a clear exit strategy.
“I think it’s important that we have a game plan to get out. I don’t think it would be wise to put troops on the ground,” McCaul said.
Smith also questioned McCaul on the president’s push for state legislatures to redraw congressional maps to favor Republicans.
Texas was the first state legislature to redraw its maps, but others – controlled by both Democrats and Republicans – have followed. McCaul said he would not have pursued mid-decade redistricting.
“When all is said and done right now, it’s a wash, or maybe a net gain of one Republican seat,” McCaul said, noting that the redistricting will likely push out members of Congress “who want to get something done for the country.”
