Donald Trump donated $10 million to Texas Attorney General and Senate candidate Ken Paxton ahead of the 2026 midterm election, according to Federal Election Commission filings made public on September 5, 2026. The donation came through MAGA Inc., Trump's Super PAC, and was divided into two equal $5 million portions: one for negative advertising against Paxton’s Democratic opponent James Talarico, and one for ads supporting Paxton, both handled by Del Ray Media Inc. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
This marks Trump’s first major midterm campaign donation in 2026. Previously, he contributed about $827,000 to South Carolina GOP Senate candidate Lindsey Graham [1, 2]. Trump’s MAGA Inc. currently controls roughly $400 million in campaign cash, a figure he reiterated in early September, saying, "This is my money" and pledging to spend whatever amount is necessary to help favored Republican candidates [3, 4, 5]. In August, Trump said he had raised around $850 million total and planned to invest heavily in GOP campaigns [1, 2].
Ken Paxton became the Republican nominee for the Texas Senate seat after winning the runoff against incumbent John Cornyn in May 2026. Paxton has been a controversial figure, facing impeachment proceedings and personal scandals in 2023 [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]. The Texas Senate race is highly competitive, with 37-year-old Democratic state representative James Talarico challenging the historically Republican seat [1, 3, 4, 5].
The $10 million in ads focus heavily on taxation issues. The negative ads portray Talarico as a tax increaser, while Paxton’s ads promote his proposals for tax relief for first-time homebuyers and families with children [3, 4, 5]. Talarico’s campaign denies claims of broad tax increases, stating he supports property tax cuts and targeted relief for working families. JT Ennis, a Talarico campaign spokesperson, said, "Secret billionaire-backed groups are smearing Talarico because they fear our people-powered movement reversing the broken, corrupt system. Talarico proudly voted for Texas’s largest real estate tax cut and has consistently backed tax cuts for Texas workers." [3]
Alex Pfeiffer, spokesperson for MAGA Inc., said the ads will ensure Texans know about Talarico’s "radical policies" and support Paxton’s election as federal senator [3]. Trump emphasized on September 4 that the $400 million in MAGA Inc. funds are fully under his control, separate from the Republican National Committee’s money, and he is ready to spend as much as needed to win [3, 4, 5].
