An aide to outgoing Senator John Cornyn (R) has crossed party lines to support Democrat candidate James Talarico in his bid to defeat Republican candidate Ken Paxton in their Senate race.
| PULSE POINTS |
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: A former aide to Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) has joined Democrat Senate candidate James Talarico’s campaign as he seeks to defeat Republican nominee Ken Paxton, who displaced Cornyn as the Republican nominee earlier this year, in the November midterms. Jacob Smith, who was Cornyn’s deputy legislative director and policy adviser for five years, now works as Talarico’s deputy policy director. 📺 DETAIL: Smith, who said he has “worked for Republicans like Senator Cornyn”—a Republican-in-name-only (RINO) who has repeatedly backstabbed President Donald J. Trump—for his “entire career,” and was “proud” to join Talarico’s campaign. The move comes after Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, an America First conservative committed to the Trump administration’s agenda, defeated Cornyn in the Republican primary runoff earlier this year with President Trump’s backing. The victory came despite Cornyn spending enormous sums on his campaign. Talarico, meanwhile, has been caught in several controversies regarding past comments, including claiming that Islamic mystics influenced his Christian beliefs, and taking money from a donor linked to pedophile Jeffrey Epstein while campaigning against the “Epstein class.” 🎯 IMPACT: Smith’s switch highlights the preference of some in the GOP establishment to see Democrats win elections over America First Republicans. 💬 KEY QUOTE: “I’ve worked for Republicans like Senator Cornyn my entire career, but this year I’m proud to be joining James Talarico’s campaign.” – Jacob Smith |
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