{"id":2575218,"date":"2026-03-02T14:09:02","date_gmt":"2026-03-02T19:09:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/cornyn-rebuts-hunts-next-generation-jab-citing-trumps-age\/"},"modified":"2026-03-02T14:10:07","modified_gmt":"2026-03-02T19:10:07","slug":"cornyn-rebuts-hunts-next-generation-jab-citing-trumps-age","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/cornyn-rebuts-hunts-next-generation-jab-citing-trumps-age\/","title":{"rendered":"Cornyn rebuts Hunt\u2019s \u2018next generation\u2019 jab, citing Trump\u2019s age"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">18<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fcornyn-rebuts-hunts-next-generation-jab-citing-trumps-age%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2575218&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The piece provides a snapshot of the Texas Senate Republican primary in 2026, focusing on incumbent Sen. John Cornyn and his challengers Wesley Hunt and Ken Paxton. Hunt, 44, argues that it\u2019s time for the \u201cnext generation\u201d of leadership, while Cornyn, 74, pushes back on <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >age-based critiques<\/a> and defends his experience. Paxton, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/nevada-trump-campaign-says-clark-county-registrar-joe-gloria-hiding-from-subpoena-service\/\" title=\"Nevada: Trump ... Says Clark County Registrar Joe Gloria Hiding From Subpoena Service\">state attorney general<\/a> and another GOP candidate, is seen as a rival too Cornyn, but his past impeachment acquittal and other allegations complicate the race. Polls released in February show Paxton leading at about 36%, with Cornyn close behind and hunt trailing, making a runoff likely if no candidate reaches a majority on March 3. The article also notes that former president Donald Trump has not endorsed anyone in the primary and has given mixed signals about the race. On the Democratic side, Jasmine Crockett and James Talarico compete, with Emerson College polling suggesting Talarico leads Crockett. The primary date is March 3, and if no candidate clears 50%, a runoff would be held on May 26.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Cornyn cites Trump&rsquo;s age in rebuttal to Hunt&rsquo;s &lsquo;insulting&rsquo; call for &lsquo;next generation&rsquo;<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_2520432\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>Sen. <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/opinion\/4476126\/cornyn-is-the-right-choice-for-texas-republicans\/\">John Cornyn<\/a> (R-TX) said he hasn&rsquo;t heard any Republicans label President <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/washington-secrets\/4476520\/inside-donald-trump-iran-gamble-win-it-own-it\/\">Donald Trump<\/a>, 79, &ldquo;too old&rdquo; in response to primary challenger Rep. <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/4476049\/wesley-hunt-doesnt-shy-away-missed-votes\/\">Wesley Hunt<\/a>&lsquo;s (R-TX)&nbsp;call for the &ldquo;next generation.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Hunt and Texas Attorney General <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/energy-and-environment\/4473764\/vanguard-antitrust-lawsuit-climate-activism\/\">Ken Paxton<\/a> are challenging Cornyn in the Texas Senate primary as the incumbent seeks a fifth six-year term. Hunt, 44, said last week that &ldquo;it&rsquo;s time for the next generation of leadership to step up,&rdquo; taking a shot at Cornyn, 74, by saying the Senate is &ldquo;not a retirement community.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<div class=\"recommended-stories\">\n<h2>Recommended Stories<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/4476227\/trump-snub-dan-crenshaw-endorsement-sway-texas-voters\/\">Trump&rsquo;s snub of Crenshaw may not sway Texas voters away from incumbent<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/4476791\/graham-platner-senate-endorsement-ruben-gallego-maine-race\/\">Second senator endorses Graham Platner in Maine Senate battle<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/presidential\/4475254\/trump-desantis-lock-horns-gop-split-ai\/\">Trump and DeSantis lock horns in GOP split over AI<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>Cornyn, however, dismissed Hunt&rsquo;s comments.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I mean, correct me if I&rsquo;m wrong, but I think either President Trump&rsquo;s either 79 or 80, and I don&rsquo;t hear anybody, any Republican saying he&rsquo;s too old,&rdquo; Cornyn said on CBS News. &ldquo;And I think it&rsquo;s frankly kind of insulting, but what else is Wesley going to say? He&rsquo;s not going to make it past March 3, he is going to force a runoff, and I guess if that&rsquo;s what he counts as success, he will be successful.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) tells CBS News&#8217; <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/edokeefe?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@edokeefe<\/a> that if state Attorney General Ken Paxton wins the Republican primary in the Texas Senate race, Paxton will lose the seat to the democratic opposition in November, &#8220;no question.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;If Ken Paxton is the nominee, I think all of that&hellip; <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/aG4kmpbhkx\">pic.twitter.com\/aG4kmpbhkx<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; CBS News (@CBSNews) <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/CBSNews\/status\/2028242269552132498?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">March 1, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script> <\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p>Cornyn cautioned against nominating Paxton over himself, saying a Paxton nomination would jeopardize the down-ballot races for Republicans in the House and state elections. <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/opinion\/beltway-confidential\/4473377\/gop-failures-could-get-jasmine-crockett-elected-senate\/\">Paxton&rsquo;s campaign has faced some turbulence<\/a> over his prior impeachment, of which <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/2764148\/texas-attorney-general-ken-paxton-acquitted-on-all-16-impeachment-charges-by-senate\/\">he was acquitted<\/a>, as well as <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/3815325\/texas-senate-race-ugly-cornyn-documents-paxton-affair\/\">allegations <\/a><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/3815325\/texas-senate-race-ugly-cornyn-documents-paxton-affair\/\">that he pursued an extramarital<\/a> affair in 2024.<\/p>\n<p>Polling data released Feb. 23 show <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/texaspolitics.utexas.edu\/blog\/competition-remains-fierce-in-both-u-s-senate-primaries-in-texas-according-to-latest-ut-texas-politics-project-poll-2\">Paxton leading this primary race with 36%<\/a>, ahead of Cornyn by 2% and Hunt by 10%. If no candidate breaches the 50% threshold on Tuesday, a primary runoff election between the top two candidates will be held <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sos.state.tx.us\/elections\/voter\/important-election-dates.shtml\">on May 26<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, speaks during a campaign stop in The Woodlands, Texas, Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026. (AP Photo\/Annie Mulligan)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/4476049\/wesley-hunt-doesnt-shy-away-missed-votes\/\"><strong>&lsquo;SWEAT EQUITY&rsquo;: WESLEY HUNT DOESN&rsquo;T SHY AWAY FROM MISSED VOTES AHEAD OF TEXAS SENATE PRIMARY<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Trump has notably <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/state\/4459730\/trump-refuses-to-endorse-texas-gop-primary\/\">not endorsed in this <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/romney-other-anti-trump-republicans-to-fundraise-for-cheney-re-election-bid\/\" title=\"Romney, Other Anti-Trump ... To Fundraise For Cheney Re-Election Bid\">heated primary race<\/a><\/a>. In January, he told White House reporters on Air Force One that he supports each of the candidates, and <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/4474158\/trump-heads-texas-ahead-of-heated-gop-primary-no-plans-endorse\/\">he hadn&rsquo;t &ldquo;made a decision on that race yet.&rdquo;<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX) and state Rep. James Talarico are vying for the Democratic Party&rsquo;s nomination in this Senate race. Talarico received 52% of support in <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/emersoncollegepolling.com\/texas-2026-primary-poll-talarico-paxton-with-narrow-edges-in-senate-primaries\/\">data from the Emerson College Polling<\/a> released Sunday, outpacing Crockett by 5%. The poll&rsquo;s margin of error is 3.3%.<\/p>\n<p>The Texas Senate primary is Tuesday, March 3.<\/p>\n<p>The <em>Washington Examiner<\/em> contacted Hunt&rsquo;s campaign for comment.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Cornyn: Trump not too old; Hunt pushes next gen<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2632,"featured_media":2575219,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/AP26059828394096-e1772469037719.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[546,33651],"tags":[8808,22362,10223,5894,3694],"class_list":["post-2575218","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-federalist","category-the-western-journal","tag-age","tag-cornyn","tag-hunt","tag-politics","tag-texas"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/AP26059828394096-e1772469037719.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2575218","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2632"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2575218"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2575218\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2575222,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2575218\/revisions\/2575222"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2575219"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2575218"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2575218"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2575218"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}