President Trump is getting pressured 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 this month'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," 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."

The other side: 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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Outdoor recreation contributed 2.1% of Texas' gross domestic product in 2024, according to new U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis data.

The big picture: The outdoor recreation economy accounted for 2.4% of U.S. GDP in 2024, according to recent U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis data.

• That's in current dollars, and equivalent to nearly $700 billion.

Catch up quick: GDP for the outdoor economy was up 2.7% in 2024 — a slowdown from 2023, when it rose 5.3% from the previous year.

Zoom in: Total recreation spending in Texas was more than $59.4 billion in 2024, behind only Florida ($65.3 billion) and California ($87.9 billion).

• The tallies include conventional outdoor activities like hiking, hunting and bicycling, other activities like outdoor concerts, and supporting work, like construction and tourism.

By the numbers: Conventional outdoor recreation added almost $17.8 billion to the Texas GDP.

• 🎶 Other outdoor recreation, including music festivals and amusement parks, added $9.2 billion to the state's GDP.
• 🧳 Tourism and other supporting work added nearly $32.5 billion.

🚤 Stunning stat: Boating and fishing accounted for nearly $3 billion of the state's GDP, closely followed by RVing, which accounted for about $2.7 billion.

• Boating and fishing were the biggest economic drivers nationwide among "conventional activities," adding $38.4 billion to the U.S. GDP.

⚖️ A federal judge yesterday ordered Texas to extend the application deadline for school vouchers to the end of the month, citing the state's exclusion of Islamic schools. (Texas Tribune)

🎥 Part of University Drive in Fort Worth will be closed next week for filming Taylor Sheridan's "Lioness." (Star-Telegram)

🗳️ More than 13,000 people showed up to the wrong Dallas County polling place on Election Day. (KERA)

📱 The Dallas Zoo is collecting old electronics until Sept. 1 to support a campaign to protect gorillas. (WFAA)

💬 Quote du jour:

"This is incredibly alarming, especially for those members who receive high volumes of credible and sophisticated death threats."

A Texas native who now lives in Georgia designed the pair of boots Big Tex will wear during this year's state fair.

Why it matters: You haven't attended the State Fair of Texas until you snap a selfie with the giant cowboy.

Zoom in: Aaliyah McNeal, 31, was selected as this year's boot designer from about 450 contest entries.

• The size 96 Lucchese boots will feature bluebonnets, pecan trees, prickly pears and the Texas Star Ferris wheel.

What they're saying: "From a distance, sweeping patterns mimic the rich textures of genuine leather, accented by pops of red and blue in honor of the Texas flag," McNeal, who grew up around the corner from the fairgrounds, said of her winning design.

What's next: Tex will sport the new design during the State Fair of Texas Sept. 25–Oct. 18.