Trump-Backed Paxton Wins Texas GOP Primary

Summary

WSJ What’s News – Episode Summary

Episode Title: Trump-Backed Paxton Wins Texas GOP Primary
Date: May 27, 2026
Host: Luke Vargas, The Wall Street Journal

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Overview

This episode kicks off with a political shake-up in Texas where Trump-backed Ken Paxton wins the GOP Senate primary, highlighting broader national and global developments impacting markets and geopolitics. It dives into repercussions for the Republican party, redistricting controversies in the South, shifts in global auto and semiconductor markets, and intensifying concerns about Russia's intentions in Europe as the Ukraine war drags on. The episode features an in-depth interview with WSJ’s Yaroslav Trofimov on the rising anxieties in Europe over possible Russian moves beyond Ukraine.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Texas GOP Senate Primary: Trump’s Endorsement Tips the Scales

[01:03 – 01:44]

• Ken Paxton defeats incumbent John Cornyn in the Texas Republican Senate primary, thanks in part to President Trump’s endorsement.
• At his victory party, Paxton shifts focus toward his general election opponent, Democrat James Talarico.
  • Paxton aims to frame Talarico as, in his words, a “Texas space puppet for Chuck Schumer and the national Democrats” (01:35, Ken Paxton).
• The fight exposed Republican party divisions, especially frustration toward Trump for abandoning Cornyn.
• Democrats eye the race as pivotal, with hopes that a Talarico win could help them reclaim the Senate in Texas’s most competitive election in years.

2. Redistricting Battles Across the South

[01:44 – 02:50]

• Alabama: Federal court blocks use of a GOP-favored congressional map for special primaries, branding it “intentionally discriminatory.” The court orders a return to prior “race-blind” maps from 2024. The state is expected to appeal.
• South Carolina: State Senate rejects Governor Henry McMaster’s push to cancel the ongoing congressional primary and redraw maps to weaken a Democrat stronghold, despite pressure from President Trump and his allies. Early voting in the existing primary has already begun.

3. Global Market Highlights

[02:50 – 04:50]

• China: Reports a robust 25% increase in year-on-year industrial profits for April, with surging oil refining and triple-digit profit growth in metals. This is on the back of strong global demand for Chinese AI and green energy products.
• European Car Market:
  • Tesla: Rebounds in 2026 after a political and manufacturing slog in 2025.
  • BYD and other Chinese brands (Geely, Chery, SAIC, Leap Motor) now hold ~10% market share in Europe, a dramatic surge with EVs and hybrids boasting strong features and competitive pricing, powered by China's advanced battery supply chains.
  • Quote – Stephen Wilmot [03:35]:
    “BYD is now bigger than Tesla in Europe, way bigger than Honda and many other brands that will be much more familiar to American consumers... Overall these brands have about 10% market share year to date in Europe, which is an astonishing number given how they were barely registered just a couple of years ago.”
• Semiconductors:
  • SK Hynix joins the “trillion dollar club” after explosive share growth, following similar leaps by Samsung and Micron.
  • Samsung avoids strike disruption after union workers approve a new bonus deal, calming fears about potential chip supply shocks.

4. U.S. Ebola Response in Africa

[06:30 – 07:40]

• The Trump administration is preparing to deploy public health officers to Kenya for a quarantine facility serving Americans potentially exposed to a rare strain of Ebola spreading in the DRC.
• This is a shift in protocol—rather than returning exposed Americans to the U.S., they’ll be treated on-site in Kenya, pending final government sign-off.
• Risk remains low for Ebola transmission to the U.S., but the WHO notes the outbreak is “outpacing the global response.”

5. Canada’s Tech Privacy Tensions

[07:40 – 08:24]

• Apple, Google, and encrypted messaging service Signal warn against a new Canadian bill that could force product changes for surveillance, threatening user privacy and encrypted communications.
• Canadian MPs argue the law is needed to update investigative tools and support law enforcement. Police chiefs back the bill, citing delays in accessing digital evidence.

6. Russia’s Threats to Wider Europe: In-Depth Interview with Yaroslav Trofimov

[08:24 – 11:51]

• Escalation of Russian intimidation: The Russian Ministry of Defense publicly lists addresses of European defense firms supplying Ukraine and warns they could be legitimate targets.
• Covert aggression: Russian agents implicated in recent firebombings and sabotage of defense manufacturers in Europe (example: Czech defense firm explosion).
• Russian leaders see potential weakness in NATO, emboldened by President Trump’s public skepticism about the alliance.
  • Quote – Yaroslav Trofimov [00:50 and 08:24]:
    “The Russian calculation is that as they watch President Trump talking about leaving NATO… if we attack some of these European countries, be it the Baltic states, be it Finland, Sweden, Norway, maybe the US won’t react.”
• US Troop Drawdown Talk: The Pentagon has signaled allies it may significantly reduce troop allocations for Europe in the event of war, amplifying European fears.
• Impact of energy crisis and war “fatigue”: Soaring prices have fueled pro-Russian sentiment and calls to renew Russian energy imports, creating political stress within NATO-aligned countries.
• Putin’s strategic crossroads: With the war now outlasting the Soviet Union’s battle with Nazi Germany and stalemated on the ground, Russian society and leadership face mounting frustration.
  • Quote – Trofimov [10:46]:
    “There are no trends going into Russia's favor right now. That's the issue for Putin... now there is this broad dissatisfaction in Russia as people are saying, well, you know, what are we doing? We're now in our fifth year. Our cities all over Russia have been bombed by Ukrainian forces, and we're not able to stop that. We're not able to advance to the battlefield. So something is wrong.”
• Potential move beyond Ukraine: Fears escalate that Putin—unable to deliver victory in Ukraine—may target “easier” NATO countries to force a strategic advantage, especially with US support in question.

7. Notable Quotes & Moments

• Ken Paxton on his opponent:

  “No matter what he says or how much he raises, the reality is that James Talarico is going to be nothing more than a Texas space puppet for Chuck Schumer and the national Democrats.” (01:35, Ken Paxton)

• Stephen Wilmot on Chinese EVs:

  “BYD is now bigger than Tesla in Europe... Overall these brands have about 10% market share year to date in Europe, which is an astonishing number given how they were barely registered just a couple of years ago.” (03:35, Stephen Wilmot)

• Yaroslav Trofimov on Russian calculations:

  “The Russian calculation is that as they watch President Trump talking about leaving NATO… if we attack some of these European countries, be it the Baltic states, be it Finland, Sweden, Norway, maybe the US won’t react.” (00:50 and restated at 08:24, Yaroslav Trofimov)

• Trofimov on war fatigue and Putin’s dilemma:

  “There are no trends going into Russia's favor right now. That's the issue for Putin... There is this broad dissatisfaction in Russia as people are saying, well, you know, what are we doing? ... So something is wrong.” (10:46, Yaroslav Trofimov)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Texas GOP Primary and National Political Ramifications: 01:03 – 01:44
• Redistricting Updates (AL & SC): 01:44 – 02:50
• China & European Car Market Trends: 02:50 – 04:50
• Semiconductor Market Moves (SK Hynix, Samsung): 04:50 – 05:56
• US Ebola Response and Canadian Privacy Debate: 06:30 – 08:24
• Russia’s Escalating Threats Against Europe (with Yaroslav Trofimov): 08:24 – 11:51

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Conclusion

This episode provides listeners with a fast-paced, tightly focused look at the intersection of US politics, global economic trends, and mounting security concerns in Europe. It illustrates how domestic American politics—especially Trump’s choices—are rippling across party lines and Atlantic alliances, and how shifting economic power in China and technology issues in Canada are feeding into the global landscape. The discussion with Yaroslav Trofimov stands out for its nuanced, on-the-ground perspective on Russia’s evolving threat calculus.

Transcript

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[Luke Vargas]

President Trump's endorsement tips the scales in Texas GOP Senate primary plus the US Races to set up an Ebola quarantine facility for Americans in Kenya. And fears mount in Europe that Vladimir Putin could expand the Ukraine war beyond the country's borders.

[Yaroslav Trofimov]

The Russian calculation is that as they watch President Trump talking about leaving NATO, they are thinking that if we attack some of these European countries, be it the Baltic states, be it Finland, Sweden, Norway, maybe the US won't react.

[Luke Vargas]

Wednesday, May 27 I'm Luke Vargas for the Wall Street Journal, and here is the AM edition of what's the top headlines and business stories moving your world today. We begin in Texas, where Trump backed state Attorney General Ken Paxton has defeated incumbent John Cornyn in a primary runoff to clinch the Republican nomination for U.S. senate. At his victory party, Paxton pivoted his focus to his opponent in November's general election, Democrat James Tallarico.

[IBM Executive]

No matter what he says or how much he raises, the reality is that James Talarico is going to be nothing more than a Texas space puppet for

[Luke Vargas]

Chuck Schumer and the national Democrats. Democrats are hoping that a Talarico victory could help them to reclaim the Senate in what's expected to be the red state's most competitive general election in years. Paxton's chances of winning, meanwhile, could hinge on uniting his party after a bruising primary and amid anger among Senate Republicans that Trump turned his back on Cornyn in a pair of redistricting updates, a federal court has barred Alabama from using a congressional map favoring Republicans in special primaries in August, saying it was intentionally discriminatory and therefore unconstitutional. Instead, the court directed the state to reuse the so called race blind maps it created for the 2024 congressional election. The state is likely to appeal the ruling, and in a setback for South Carolina's Republican governor, the state's GOP controlled Senate has rejected a plan to cancel an ongoing Congress primary and hold a later election under new maps drawn to remove a high profile Democrat stronghold. Governor Henry McMaster had called the legislature back for a special session to redraw the maps after pressure from President Trump and his aides. Early voting in South Carolina's primary election started yesterday. In global markets news, China has recorded a nearly 25% jump in year on year industrial profits for April, with its oil refining sector crawling out of the red on the back of higher crude prices. But pricier energy wasn't China's only industrial tailwind. The country's metal sector has now seen triple digit profit growth through April, thanks to strong global demand for Chinese AI and green energy products. And there's fresh evidence of that in Europe in the form of new car sales data out this morning. Autos reporter Stephen Wilmot says there are two clear themes.

[Stephen Wilmot]

One is that Tesla is bouncing back a bit, had a very bad 2025 because they were shifting to the new version of Model Y in their Berlin factory. And also that was kind of when Elon Musk's political affiliation with Trump was at its most toxic, should we say, to the European consumer. So partly because of that rather weak start to 2025, the 2026 numbers are looking a lot better by comparison. That said, the more obvious theme is the growth of Chinese manufacturers. BYD is now bigger than Tesla in Europe, way bigger than Honda and many other brands that will be much more familiar to American consumers. And it's not just byd. It's also Geely, Che, Cherry, Syke, Leap Motor. Overall, these brands have about 10% market share year to date in Europe, which is an astonishing number given how they were barely registered just a couple of years ago. And the reason for this growth is really that they come with a lot of fairly strong features at a reasonable price. These are often EVs and hybrids, so the range that they go between charges is a key feature that consumers look at. And because they have good relationships with Chinese supply chains, the battery industry in China is vast and very competitive. They can offer very good range for a reasonable price.

[Luke Vargas]

South Korea's SK Hynix has become the latest member of the trillion dollar club, joining the likes of Nvidia and tsmc. The memory chip maker's shares jumped today, extending a more than 3x run up since the start of the year as it benefits from higher memory prices and tighter supplies of high performance computing chips. SK Hynix is now the second South Korean company to surpass the trillion dol dollar market cap threshold after Samsung did so earlier this month. US Chipmaker Micron also joined the trillion dollar club yesterday. And speaking of Samsung, the company's unionized workers today approved a new bonus pay deal averting a potential strike at the world's largest memory chip maker that had raised fears of disruptions to the global chip supply chain. Samsung's shares closed up more than 2.5%. On the news. Coming up, the US is set to deploy public health officials to Kenya should Americans be exposed to Ebola? Plus, European capitals begin to fear that Russia may extend its war beyond Ukraine. Those stories and more after the break.

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[Luke Vargas]

The Trump administration is scaling up its Ebola response in Africa. We're exclusively reporting that plans are underway to send US Public health officers to Kenya in order to staff a potential quarantine facility there to treat Americans infected by or exposed to a rare strain of Ebola that's currently spreading in the Democratic Republic of Congo. It's a shift from prior outbreaks in which exposed Americans were brought back to the US for monitoring or treatment. There are no known cases of Ebola in Kenya, and the facility is awaiting final sign off from the Kenyan government. While the CDC says the risk of Ebola spreading to the US Public remains low, the WHO has warned that the outbreak, the third largest on record, is outpacing the global response. Apple and Google are warning Canadian politicians that a proposed law could put the privacy and security of Canadians at risk, with top executives saying the bill would force them to change their products to allow for more surveillance, potentially compromising encrypted systems. Messaging service signals that it would rather pull out of Canada than comply. Canadian officials, meanwhile, say the country's laws haven't kept pace with technology and that the bill would give authorities modern tools to deter criminal activity. The bill also has the support of Canada's police chiefs, who say their investigators need help getting digital evidence in a timely manner. Does Vladimir Putin have his eye on the Baltics with Russian troops bogged down in Ukraine? Wall Street Journal chief foreign affairs correspondent Yaroslav Trofimov reports that a series threatening statements in recent weeks is sparking fear in European capitals that Moscow could seek to expand its conflict beyond Ukraine. And Yarrow joins me now from Poland with the very latest. Jaro. We haven't covered these Russian threats directed at countries in the Baltic on the program to date. Remind us what we've been hearing and

[Yaroslav Trofimov]

seeing there's been an escalation of threats. So the Russian Ministry of Defense has listed the addresses of defense companies throughout Europe, from Spain to Germany to the Scandinavian countries, where Ukrainian companies are producing jointly with local manufacturers drones and other military equipment. And it's warned that those areas could become legitimate targets for Russian strikes. That's part and parcel of Russian commitment intimidation, because we have also seen agents of the Russian intelligence have been involved in firebombing and attacking defense manufacturers across Europe. There was this case of a Czech defense company that was blown up by Russian agents not so long ago. And so you already have this activity that is becoming more and more brazen and reckless Europe. But now we're also talking about something more. The Russian calculation is that as they watch the geopolitical environment, as they watch President Trump talking about leaving NATO, they are thinking that if we attack some of these European countries, be it the Baltic states, be it Finland, Sweden, Norway, maybe the US Will not react, maybe President Trump will not join the war to defend them. And if he doesn't, then there will be a strategic victory for Russia because they will have proven that NATO doesn't exist anymore as a cohesive alliance.

[Luke Vargas]

And on that exact point, Yarrow, our colleagues Michael Gordon and Robbie Gramer actually reported just overnight that the Pentagon has informed some of its NATO allies that it plans to substantially dial back the number of troops that it's earmarking for Europe in the event that NATO should find itself in a potential conflict. And this is all coming, of course, as Europe is also dealing with the impact of the war in Iran and the energy price shock caused by that. Is that something Moscow thinks could also play to its advantage here?

[Yaroslav Trofimov]

Yes, because obviously you also have the energy crisis in Europe, and it has fueled the pro Russian populist parties that are saying, look, why should be paying the price? Let's buy Russian oil and gas on the cheap again and forget about Ukraine. Now, all of this could be a huge miscalculation because President Putin has miscalculated in the past. When he invaded Ukraine in 2022, he was expecting its collapse in three days. Instead, he's now bogged in a war that has lasted into its fifth year, with Russia being shut out of the international trade and markets and subjected to some of the most severe sanctions ever.

[Luke Vargas]

I'm glad you brought up those risks, though, because obviously the fastest way for Russia to reverse any trends potentially moving in their favor would be precisely this. To strike NATO territory.

[Yaroslav Trofimov]

Well, yes. I mean, there are no trends going into Russia's favor right now. That's the issue for Putin, because there is a psychological turning point that happened in January when this war against Ukraine has lasted longer than the Soviet Union's war against Nazi Germany. And so now there is this broad dissatisfaction in Russia as people are saying, well, you know, what are we doing? We're now in our fifth year. Our cities all over Russia have been bombed by Ukrainian forces, and we're not able to stop that. We're not able to advance to the battlefield. So something is wrong. And so I think a way of reshuffling the situation could be for Putin to expand the war to easier targets such as the Baltic states, especially now that he is coming to the conclusion that the so called Alaska deal, the Anchorage deal with President Trump that they struck last August is not going to materialize. And at the time, if you remember, the US Basically offered Russia the portion of the Donetsk region of Ukraine that Russia has not been able to conquer as a condition for a ceasefire. And Ukraine has refused to hand over this territory. And so the Russians are looking at this and saying, well, you know, we cannot cash in this American check. We cannot invest on the battlefield. So what else do we do?

[Luke Vargas]

Yaroslav Trofimov is the Journal's chief foreign affairs correspondent, joined us today from Poland. Jaro, as always, thanks so much.

[Yaroslav Trofimov]

Thank you.

[Luke Vargas]

And that's it for what's news for this Wednesday morning. Today's show was produced by Hattie Moyer. Our supervising producer was Daniel Bach. And I'm Luke Vargas for the Wall Street Journal. We will be back tonight with a new show. Until then, thanks for listening.

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