Trump taps massive war chest to help embattled Paxton in Texas

The pro-Trump MAGA Inc. super PAC began its long-awaited midterm spending Saturday with a $10 million ad campaign supporting Texas Senate hopeful Ken Paxton.

Why it matters: The decision to start in Texas underscores the urgency among Republicans to shore up Paxton, who is locked in an unexpectedly tight race with Democrat James Talarico.

• Republicans haven't lost a statewide race in Texas in more than three decades. But Talarico has vastly outraised Paxton, who some Republicans have criticized for running a lackadaisical campaign.

Driving the news: Republicans have been eager to see Trump deploy his $400 million war chest in the party's fight to maintain its congressional majorities.

• "I'm going to spend whatever amount of money necessary to try and help us," Trump said at the White House Friday.

Zoom out: Other Republican heavyweights are mobilizing to help Paxton.

• The Elon Musk-funded America PAC has reported spending $2.4 million to bolster Paxton as of Sept. 2.
• A pro-Paxton super PAC called Lone Star Liberty PAC launched a $15 million advertising effort this week.

The intrigue: Senate Majority Leader John Thune will appear at a fundraiser next week in Dallas, where Republicans are gathering for their midterm convention, Axios has learned.

• Thune's decision to help Paxton is noteworthy given that Thune and other party leaders aggressively supported Texas Sen. John Cornyn over Paxton in the Republican primary.

• The Thune-aligned Senate Leadership Fund super PAC is also expected to spend money to support Paxton, and the organization has been sharing polling data and research with Lone Star Liberty PAC.

By the numbers: Talarico raised $68 million through the end of June, compared with $9 million for Paxton.

• The fundraising gap has allowed Talarico to dominate the airwaves for much of the summer.