Former President Donald Trump’s announcement earlier this week that he will launch a third White House bid comes amid a less-than-stellar performance in last week's midterm elections, which saw his Republican Party miss out on control of Senate and only narrowly retake the House.

What You Need To Know

  • Donald Trump’s announcement that he will run for president a third time comes as Republicans reflect on their underwhelming performance in last week’s midterm elections 

  • When Trump announced his latest White House bid Tuesday night, some Texas Republicans threw their support behind him while some remained a little on the fence

  • The two senators from Texas stopped short of making an all-out endorsement of Trump and expressed a willingness to see a competitive primary

  • “The world has changed considerably. And just in recent weeks, and I don't expect that he'll be the only one who will run for president in 2024, Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas., said at a presser Tuesday on Capitol Hill 

When Trump announced his latest White House bid Tuesday night, some Texas Republicans threw their support behind him while others expressed hesitations.

“He’s my guy,” said Rep. Troy Nehls at Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate after watching the announcement. "I saddle my horse. We’re going to the winner’s circle together."

Nehls, a former sheriff, told Spectrum News that he especially appreciates Trump’s support for law enforcement.

In regards to Trump's presidential announcement speech, Nehls said he thought Trump's speech "was deliberate" and "was right on point." 

Nehls added that Trump "talked about the issues" in the country and his plan to fix them, adding, "It was presidential what he did," and that he plans to do "everything" to help Trump "get the White House back."

Rep. Ronny Jackson, a former White House physician, said in a Twitter post that he "fully" supports Trump and that he believes the former president will be victorious in 2024.

Trump also picked up support from Rep. Tony Gonzales, who wrote on Twitter that he "[looks] forward to President Trump once again righting the ship."

Incoming Texas GOP lawmaker Wesley Hunt said he plans to support the former president's bid, and even plans to visit Trump at his Mar-a-Lago estate. 

Hunt was excited about the potential of multiple conservative candidates along with Trump being on a ticket. He believes a ticket with many GOP members is a ticket needed "to get our country back."

This all comes as Republicans grapple with their performance in the midterm elections. They expected to win big, but likely won control of the House by only a few seats and failed to seize control of the Senate.

The two senators from Texas stopped short of making an all-out endorsement of Trump and expressed a willingness to see a competitive primary.

“The world has changed considerably, and just in recent weeks. And I don't expect that he'll be the only one who will run for president in 2024," Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas., said at a presser Tuesday on Capitol Hill. "I'll support the Republican nominee. But I don't know that it will be him."

Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, dueled with Trump for the GOP nomination in 2016 but lost and then became a Trump ally. There is speculation that Cruz may seek another 2024 presidential run, though it’s unclear if Trump’s announcement will affect Cruz’s plans.

While Trump was in office, "a lot of positive" things got done, Cruz said, adding, "If he's the nominee," he would indeed "enthusiastically support" Trump," Cruz said at a presser Tuesday on Capitol Hill.  

Trump endorsed several Texas Republicans in the midterms, though many Texas incumbents in Congress who were elected truly benefited from redistricting.