President Trump is backing Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in the Republican Senate runoff against Sen. John Cornyn. Fox News reports Trump is putting his weight behind Paxton in a race that now becomes a clean test inside the Texas GOP. Cornyn is selling seniority, committee power, and years in Washington.

Paxton is selling himself as Trump’s fighter who will not bend to the old Senate club. Outside groups, major donors, and national campaign shops are expected to pour money into Texas through ads, mail, and turnout operations.

Texas is not supposed to be a Republican stress test. This runoff makes it one. The press will frame this as a personality fight between Paxton and Cornyn. It is bigger than that.

This is a warning shot to every Republican senator who thinks voting records can be explained away with a slick ad buy. If Paxton wins, the base tells Washington it wants fighters, not dealmakers who get praised by the same people wrecking the country. If Cornyn survives, the old guard gets proof that money, endorsements, and institutional muscle can still stop a MAGA challenge in a deep-red state. Watch where Senate GOP leadership money goes, because that will show who they fear more: Democrats or their own voters.

The Trump administration created a $1.776 billion “anti-weaponization” fund for approved settlements tied to government abuse. The Washington Examiner reports GOP senators whose phone data was seized during a Biden-era probe could qualify for payouts, but some are rejecting the money. One senator said, “I don’t need any compensation.”

Good. The real fix is not a taxpayer check. It is hard limits on data grabs, real penalties for abuse, and sunlight on who approved it.

European stocks moved lower as traders tracked U.S-Iran talks and Ukraine risk. The Stoxx 600 slipped in early trading, with the FTSE 100, DAX, and CAC 40 all choppy. Europe is still the weak link when war risk hits energy, shipping, and inflation. If talks with Iran break down or Ukraine heats up again, American families will feel it too through fuel, food, and retirement accounts.

The Department of War posted a Memorial Day video featuring Kid Rock at the Pentagon. He stood behind a DOW lectern, with an American flag behind him, and told Americans to remember the fallen and their families. That is the right message.

Memorial Day is not a mattress sale or a long weekend. It is a national pause for the Americans who never came home and the families who still carry that cost.

Yahoo Sports reports mutual interest between Tobias Harris and the Detroit Pistons for next season. Harris is headed toward 2026 NBA free agency, which puts Detroit on the clock. The front office has three choices: extend him, play it out, or move him before losing control.

Fans should ask the simple question. Is Harris part of the young core’s plan, or is he a bridge contract until Detroit makes its next real move?

President Donald Trump released a Memorial Day statement honoring fallen U.S. service members and Gold Star families. He praised the Americans who died defending the country and recognized the parents, spouses, and children left behind. That tone matters from a sitting president.

Memorial Day should be about remembrance, duty, and gratitude, not cheap politics. Every flag in a cemetery marks a real person and a family still living with the loss.

Today’s Texas story is why Heritage Republic Supply Co. exists. When the party machine tells voters to sit down, real Americans stand up and wear what they believe. Heritage gear is built for people who still think faith, family, country, and grit are worth showing in public. Gear at heritagerepublic.com.

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Brett Lee Editor, Project Liberty projectlibertyus.com

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