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MORNING GLORY: Texas might be the key to saving Trump’s second term agenda
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On May 26, 2026, the second half of President Donald Trump’s second term may be on the ballot.
Texas Senator John Cornyn held off Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton to lead in the first round of the 2026 race for the Texas Senate seat, but since Congressman Wesley Hunt drew more than 13% of the primary vote, a run-off between Cornyn and Paxton will be held on May 26.
Senator Cornyn is a stalwart conservative, a former Texas State Supreme Court justice and a strong supporter of President Donald Trump. Attorney General Paxton is a fixture of the often black-and-blue brawling of the Lone Star State’s internal combinations.
How black-and-blue?
U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) walks through the halls of the U.S. Capitol on February 12, 2026, in Washington, D.C. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)
Paxton was impeached by the overwhelmingly GOP-dominated state legislature on 16 counts of alleged wrongdoing in 2023. Paxton survived his trial in the Texas State Senate and was acquitted, but should he somehow catch and pass Cornyn in the run-off, the safe GOP seat in deep-red Texas suddenly becomes very winnable for the Democrats who have nominated boy-band-look alike James Talarico. Cornyn will roll over the young man. Paxton is likely to get rolled by him.
President Trump could come in on Cornyn’s side before May 26 and put an end to the sideshow that threatens to put the GOP’s Senate majority at risk if Paxton wins.
The Senate GOP enjoys a 53-47 advantage right now. While it is hard to see a path for Democrats to get to 51, it’s not impossible. It becomes much more likely, in fact, if Paxton wins the run-off and loses the general. Much. More. Likely.
Sen. John Cornyn, R-Tx., wants to remove the Council on American-Islamic Relations’ tax-exempt status in the wake of Texas and Florida designating the group as a terrorist organization. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
What would a Democratic Senate majority mean for President Trump? Start with long, repeating Senate trials on bogus articles of impeachment which will roll over from a House Democratic majority on a conveyor belt. Count on a Democratic Senate majority to go to any lengths to recapture the White House in 2028 while crippling the ability of 45-47 to get much done in his last two years.
The courts would also be at risk. President Trump’s nominees for the federal bench, especially the Supreme Court, should any occur, would not get a hearing as Democrats chant in unison the name of Merrick Garland.
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In fact, it would not be surprising to see zero nominees for any advice-and-consent position proceed to a floor vote. The Democrats are deranged — “These people are crazy!” was the best line of the president’s State of the Union — and a “TDS” infected Democratic Senate majority would be a nightmare for the president and the Republic.
Sen. John Cornyn, R-Tx., and Texas Attorney General are engaged in a brutal primary battle, and will be in the same room for President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
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The good news is that Texas Republicans are a smart lot. They have rejected every attempt by national media over two decades to get them to desert the GOP to support the latest progressive poster child. Texas voters play politics like they play football — to win. Trading a veteran and accomplished legislator for (at best) the lowest ranked senator in an institution that runs on seniority would be foolish indeed. Switching Cronyn out for Paxton is inviting Talarico to “represent” Texas for six long years.
Texans shouldn’t bench a long-time winner for an injured and injury-prone JV player. President Trump can assure that they won’t. The president played it smart by letting Texas Republicans pick their leader in the clubhouse. Now is the time for President Trump to seal his party’s majority in the Senate in 2027 and 2028 with a ringing endorsement of Senator John Cornyn.
Hugh Hewitt is a Fox News contributor and host of “The Hugh Hewitt Show” heard weekday afternoons from 3 PM to 6 PM ET on the Salem Radio Network, and simulcast on Salem News Channel. Hugh drives Americans home on the East Coast and to lunch on the West Coast on over 400 affiliates nationwide, and on all the streaming platforms where SNC can be seen. He is a frequent guest on the Fox News Channel’s news roundtable, hosted by Bret Baier weekdays at 6pm ET. A son of Ohio and a graduate of Harvard College and the University of Michigan Law School, Hewitt has been a Professor of Law at Chapman University’s Fowler School of Law since 1996 where he teaches Constitutional Law. Hewitt launched his eponymous radio show from Los Angeles in 1990. Hewitt has frequently appeared on every major national news television network, hosted television shows for PBS and MSNBC, written for every major American paper, has authored a dozen books and moderated a score of Republican candidate debates, most recently the November 2023 Republican presidential debate in Miami and four Republican presidential debates in the 2015-16 cycle. Hewitt focuses his radio show and his column on the Constitution, national security, American politics and the Cleveland Browns and Guardians. Hewitt has interviewed tens of thousands of guests from Democrats Hillary Clinton and John Kerry to Republican Presidents George W. Bush and Donald Trump over his 40 years in broadcasting. This column previews the lead story that will drive his radio/ TV show today.
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An investigation is underway after a bicyclist was killed by a hit-and-run driver in Long Beach.
On July 6, Long Beach police responded to a crash near Cowles Street and Santa Fe Avenue just after 2:30 a.m.
Officers found the victim, a man in his 50s, lying unresponsive on the roadway. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
The driver who struck him fled the area before officers arrived.
A preliminary investigation indicated the bicyclist was riding westbound on Cowles Street when he was struck by an unknown vehicle that turned onto Cowles from Santa Fe Avenue.
The victim’s name is being withheld pending positive identification by the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner.
No further details, including a suspect or vehicle description, were released.
Anyone who witnessed the crash or has information on the incident is urged to call the Long Beach Police Department’s Collision Investigation Detail at 562-570-7355.
Anonymous tips can be provided to L.A. Regional Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or online at lacrimestoppers.org.
Rock ‘n’ roll changed forever 50 years ago when the Ramones released their self-titled debut LP, blasting radio airwaves with songs like “Blitzkrieg Bop” and “Beat on the Brat.”
Now, to celebrate the anniversary, several of punk’s modern legends will come together for a special tribute concert in Los Angeles to support cancer research.
Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong, Rancid’s Tim Armstrong, blink-182 drummer Travis Barker and former Ramones bassist C.J. Ramone will perform as Cretin Family on Aug. 30 at Hollywood Forever Cemetery.
The concert is part of a tribute hosted by John Travolta that also includes a double-feature screening of Carrie (1976) and Travolta’s new film, Propeller One-Way Night Coach. Proceeds will benefit cancer research at the Ellison Institute for Transformative Medicine.
“The spirit of the Ramones is alive in every backyard punk show, punk club and festival,” Billie Joe Armstrong said in a statement to Rolling Stone. “Generation after generation of cretins and weirdos become Ramones lovers. Kids are influenced by the Ramones and they don’t even know it yet. ¡Viva Ramones!”
The Ramones, Joey, Johnny, Dee Dee and Tommy, formed in New York City in the mid-1970s and are widely regarded as the main pioneers of the early punk rock movement. Their high-speed tempos, stripped-down production and short, catchy anthems arrived at a time when pop music was dominated by disco and bloated progressive rock acts.
They performed their final show in 1996 after achieving only limited commercial success, but their impact remains indelible.
Joey Ramone died in 2001, Dee Dee Ramone in 2002, Johnny Ramone in 2004, and Tommy Ramone in 2014. C.J. Ramone joined the band in 1989 and remained with them until they disbanded. Dee Dee is interred at Hollywood Forever Cemetery, which also features a bronze statue of Johnny Ramone.
Tickets for the tribute went on sale Tuesday.
The Los Angeles Police Department is asking for the public’s help finding a 13-year-old boy with autism who went missing in Los Angeles Monday. Ian Williams was last seen at Dockweiler State Beach near Tower 42 at about 6:20 p.m., close to the 6900 block of Pacific Avenue. “Ian suffers from severe autism and has […]
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