President Donald Trump convened a Cabinet meeting Wednesday to discuss diplomatic efforts and the ongoing conflict with Iran.

The meeting coincides with a significant shift in Texas politics, where a Trump-backed challenger successfully ousted a longtime incumbent senator. This development signals the president's continuing influence over the Republican primary process in the U.S. largest state.

Trump met with his Cabinet at the White House in Washington, D.C. This session marked the 12th Cabinet meeting of Trump's second term [1], though some reports describe it as the 11th public meeting. It was the second Cabinet meeting held since the war with Iran began [2]. The administration focused the discussion on the current state of the conflict and related diplomatic strategies.

Simultaneously, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R-TX) defeated incumbent U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) in the Republican Senate primary runoff. The runoff took place in mid-May 2026 [3].

Paxton's victory was driven by shifting Republican voter preferences and a late endorsement from President Trump. The defeat of Cornyn, a veteran lawmaker, highlights a trend of candidates aligning more closely with the president's specific platform to secure nominations.

The Texas primary results reflect a broader movement within the GOP to replace established incumbents with figures more closely aligned with the current White House administration. Paxton's win ensures that a key ally of the president will move forward to seek the seat in the general election.

“Paxton's victory was driven by shifting Republican voter preferences and a late endorsement from President Trump.”

The defeat of Senator John Cornyn by Ken Paxton demonstrates the high value of a presidential endorsement in modern GOP primaries. By replacing a traditional conservative with a staunch ally, the Republican party in Texas is further consolidating its ideological alignment with the Trump administration, which may influence future Senate voting patterns on foreign policy and the Iran conflict.