“Ken is strong on Crime, Border Security, the Second Amendment, Election Integrity and, above all, our Constitution,” Trump said in a statement released Monday, adding that Paxton is a “true Texan who will keep Texas safe.”
Bush, who is the current Texas land commissioner, is the son of Jeb Bush, nephew of former President George W. Bush and the grandson of the late former President George H.W. Bush.
Asked by CNN at that event about the attacks Trump has made on his family, Bush conceded that “politics is a contact sport.”
“We’re at a stage in our state where, you know, we can’t let a mean tweet get in the way of doing the right thing,” he said.
According to a GOP source, Trump endorsing Paxton is like Lucy and the football and Charlie Brown. Even sources close to Bush believed this is exactly what would happen and warned him not to publicly play up to the former President because Trump would once again take glee in embarrassing the Bush family.
Trump remains influential in GOP primary races and Paxton has been the target of controversy, but a senior GOP source in Texas said barring a bombshell, Trump’s endorsement means Paxton will win.
Bush had made the phrase “honor and integrity” a theme of his announcement speech, echoing a refrain often used by his uncle. Asked at his announcement if he thought that message will work in his campaign, he said: “Absolutely, I can take all the tips I can get, whether it’s W. or Trump.”
As land commissioner since 2015, Bush has been viewed by political observers as a rising star in the Republican Party. He speaks Spanish and was involved in the founding of the political group Hispanic Republicans of Texas. He was also an officer in the Navy Reserves and a former businessman, with a law degree from the University of Texas School of Law.
CNN’s Brian Rokus and Ashley Killough contributed to this report.