Cornyn goes on offense against Paxton as Republicans await Trump's endorsement

Sen. John Cornyn is going on offense against Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton as they fight for a Republican Senate runoff, and President Donald Trump’s endorsement hangs over it all

As Texas waits on President Donald Trump's promised endorsement, Sen. John Cornyn isn't holding back on his runoff opponent in the Republican primary.

His campaign is releasing a new video Thursday with a litany of ethical and personal accusations against state Attorney General Ken Paxton. It's an initial salvo in a second round of campaigning that could be even more bitter and expensive than the first.

The video revisits issues like Paxton's impeachment trial on corruption charges, which ended in an acquittal but exposed an extramarital affair, and a state fraud indictment for securities fraud, which Paxton resolved with a plea deal without admitting guilt.

Cornyn's team said it's spending tens of thousands of dollars to keep the video in front of voters' eyes. It's pocket change in a race where spending surpassed $110 million before Tuesday, but a possible foreshadowing of a future deluge if the six-minute clip is edited into television spots.

Trump did not endorse a candidate in the primary, frustrating Republicans who fear that they're wasting time and resources in Texas that could be devoted to more competitive battleground states. The president said Wednesday that he would weigh in on the May 26 runoff and expect the candidate without his endorsement to drop out, but he hasn't announced a decision.