President Trump, already at odds with many MAGA leaders over Iran, is getting pressured hard by MAGA activists not to endorse U.S. Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) for reelection.

Why it matters: This is the most unified, intense, in-his-face MAGA campaign yet to push Trump into picking sides in a pivotal fight — the GOP establishment or his base. Trump was leaning toward backing Cornyn before MAGA went ballistic, officials tell Axios.

Zoom in: Cornyn and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton finished atop the field in last week's Republican primary and are headed for a May 26 runoff.

• Top Republicans fear that if Paxton winds up being the GOP nominee he could lose in November to state Rep. James Talarico (D-Austin), who's trying to become the first Democrat to win a statewide race in 32 years.
• Trump is keeping his Paxton-backing MAGA base at bay — at least for now.

What they're saying: The Texas Senate race "is bigger than Cornyn v. Paxton, bigger than Bush v. Trump, bigger than Establishment v. Grassroots — it's this and more," said former Trump adviser Steve Bannon, an outspoken Paxton supporter who hosts the "War Room" podcast.

• "It's MAGA versus everything they hate, everything that has screwed their country, every wrong they believe needs to be righted — and righted now," Bannon added.

Zoom out: Dozens of pro-Trump influencers have taken to X to slam Cornyn in recent days.

• They've highlighted footage of the senator saying Trump had been "reckless" in the wake of the Jan. 6 Capitol siege, of him in 2023 calling Trump "irrelevant," and that the probe into the Trump campaign's ties to Russian interference in the 2016 election was needed to "get to the bottom of what exactly happened."

Pro-Cornyn party leaders, meanwhile, are playing the inside game.

• Senate Majority Leader John Thune, National Republican Senatorial Committee chair Tim Scott and other top party strategists have been using their regular access to Trump to press him to back Cornyn.

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More U.S. homes for sale in 2025 came with homeowners association fees, and those dues climbed from a year earlier, Realtor.com data shows.

Why it matters: Rising HOA fees add to the already high cost of homeownership, including in Texas.

By the numbers: Nationwide, roughly 44% of homes listed for sale on Realtor.com last year had HOA dues, up from 42% in 2024 and 34% in 2019.

• The median monthly fee rose to $135 from $125 in 2024 and $108 in 2019 — and dues can even stretch beyond $500.
• About 54% of Texas listings included HOA fees, with an average monthly fee of $62.

Zoom in: HOA fees are even more common locally.

• Around 71% of Austin area homes listed for sale included HOA dues in 2025, far higher than the national share, according to new Realtor.com data.
• The median monthly fee in the Austin metro is $65.

Between the lines: Residents pay HOA dues to fund maintenance and amenities like pools and gyms.

• In addition to monthly fees, associations often enforce strict rules on everything from holiday decor to lawn care, with fines for residents who fail to comply.

✈️ Security lines stretched outside the airport again yesterday morning. Airport officials say they expect a record number of travelers for spring break and SXSW. (KXAN)

💰 U.S. Rep. Greg Casar (D-Austin) confronted U.S. Sen. John Cornyn on Transportation Security Administration funding outside of Austin-Bergstrom International Airport yesterday. (CSPAN)

A project called the "Jeffrey Epstein Walk of Shame" was placed on the sidewalk on Brazos Street. The identity of the artist is unknown. (Austin American-Statesman)

We've got one more day of South by Southwest. Here are some recommendations for badge holders:

Get the latest games forecast from SuperJoost's Joost Van Dreunen. 10am at JW Marriott, Salon 6-8.

Watch "Surfilmusic," a documentary about Jack Johnson's evolution from surfer to filmmaker to musician. 11:45am, Alamo Lamar 9.

Catch the world premiere of "Pizza Movie" from directors Brian McElhaney and Nick Kocher. 11:30am, Alamo Lamar 4.

Listen to experts in AI ethics, journalism and global trends discuss the future of journalism — and whether AI will put us out of business. 2:30pm, Hilton Austin Downtown, Salon D.

Groove to bassist, vocalist and composer Amy Gadiaga, who will perform at British Music Embassy at Palm Door on Sixth Patio. 3:45pm.

Axios Publisher Nicholas Johnston was in Austin last weekend for our SXSW events and brought his son along for his first visit to Texas.

What's happening: They packed in several Austin must-sees — drawing on years of our advice about what to do in the city, plus some research of his own.

🌮 Food from a truck: Got a quesadilla from a truck parked on East Sixth Street.

⚾ UT sports: Went to Texas vs. Ole Miss baseball game.

🏛️ History lesson: Self-guided tour of the Capitol and then the LBJ Presidential Library.

🌶️ Spicy food: Medium heat chili at Texas Chili Parlor.

🐄 BBQ: Brisket and chicken (for the less adventurous eater) at Cooper's.

🩳 Swimming: Settled for the hotel pool as Barton Springs Pool was closed for maintenance. (It's since reopened.)

💭 Our thought bubble: Not a bad lineup, but we might've steered them toward Deep Eddy Pool to enjoy a spring-fed pool while Barton Springs was closed.

• Then, they could follow that up with a burger from Pool Burger.

📬 Tell us: What are your go-to recs for out-of-towners? Just reply to this email.