Evan Smith

Now: @theatlantic @emcollective @overheardpbs @ststephenschool @uvademocracy @austinfilm @lbjfoundation
Past: @texastribune @texasmonthly
Always: @wilco 🎾

[Manu Raju @mkraju]

New — Just spoke to Sen. John Cornyn. Asked him if he stands by his criticism of Ken Paxton, including that he’s a crook.

“Yes,” he told me.

Is he fit to serve?

"Well, I've said no,” he said. “He won the race fair and square.”

Hasn’t spoken to Paxton and doesn’t plan to meet

[Patrick Svitek @PatrickSvitek]

Ken Paxton will defeat John Cornyn in the #TXSEN Republican primary runoff, CNN projects.

[Gabby Birenbaum @birenbomb]

NRSC statement doesn't mention Paxton --- running way ahead in the #txsen runoff -- by name. The group has spent months bashing Paxton, sometimes in highly personal terms.

Instead, the Senate Republican campaign arm takes aim at Talarico

[James Talarico @jamestalarico]

I want to thank Senator John Cornyn for his years representing our state. 

We don’t agree on everything, but we both still believe in public service.

To Senator Cornyn’s supporters: you have a place in our campaign.

[Patrick Svitek @PatrickSvitek]

Breaking: Trump endorses Ken Paxton https://t.co/cPbhdK9ioZ

[Meridith McGraw @meridithmcgraw]

President Trump says he will be making an announcement around 12:30-1pm on his Texas Senate endorsement. He said he's had his mind made up for a "very long time," and "it's appropriate."

[Taylor Goldenstein @taygoldenstein]

A child sex abuse case handled by Ken Paxton’s office that nearly ended with a one-day jail sentence has ignited a political firestorm.

One piece of a pattern — or the messy reality of prosecution?

@neenareports, Molly-Jo Tilton and I took a deep dive:
https://t.co/ziMdYvx7bc

[InteractivePolls @IAPolls2022]

NYT/SIENA POLL: Trump Approval among Hispanic Americans

Approve: 20%
Disapprove: 71%

This is the lowest approval rating among Hispanics in NYT/Siena polling history
——
Trend (Net)
🟤 Jan 2025: -19
🔴 May 2026: -51 (↓32 points)

[InteractivePolls @IAPolls2022]

Pew Research: Trump Approval among Hispanic Americans

Approve: 22%
Disapprove: 76%

Trend (Net)
🟤 Feb 2025: -26
🔴 April 2026: -54 (↓28 points)
——
Hispanic Trump 2024 voters
Approve: 66%
Disapprove: 32%

Trend (Net)
🟢 Feb. 2025: +86
🟡 April 2026: +34 (↓52 points)
——
778 Hispanics (148 Hispanic Trump voters)
https://t.co/UgJmO29swh

[Evan Smith @evanasmith]

📺 @SenMarkKelly and I talk about why he sued @SecWar, Iran, the resilience of @GabbyGiffords, whether the Democrats can get their acts together in 2026, and whether he's thinking of running for president in 2028 on a new episode of @overheardpbs https://t.co/qVqnyEQO1X #txlege @austinpbs

[Evan Smith @evanasmith]

🚨 Texas now has 4 of the 10 largest cities in America — more than any other state — and 5 of the 12 largest. In the last year, Fort Worth passed Jacksonville and Austin passed San Jose https://t.co/ijLyp4LQSt #txlege #tx2026

[Evan Smith @evanasmith]

📺 @JeffreyGoldberg and I talk about the success of @TheAtlantic, his @washingtonweek learning curve, the state of the country and the state of the world on a new episode of @overheardpbs https://t.co/NDX0PjUlW1 #txlege @austinpbs

[Evan Smith @evanasmith]

📺 @emilwakim and I talk about what it was like to be a cast member of @nbcsnl and how he got his start in stand-up comedy on a new episode of @overheardpbs https://t.co/S0boVLZJx4 #txlege @austinpbs

[Evan Smith @evanasmith]

📺 @pamelacolloff and I talk about her amazing new book, "Catch the Devil" + everything wrong with the criminal justice system and her origin story journalism (it involves motorcyle cops) on a new episode of @overheardpbs https://t.co/PTRV3vw4ZK #txlege @austinpbs

[Evan Smith @evanasmith]

Scenes from @TheAtlantic Across America's Salt Lake City stop — the great @mckaycoppins talking politics with @GovCox, sports with @utahjazz owners Ryan & Ashley Smith, and journalism with yours truly. Thanks to our pals at @Deseret for hosting us #txlege
📷: @peterlattman

[Evan Smith @evanasmith]

.@TexasTribune @edisonjaden: Non-pandemic enrollment in Texas public schools dropped for first time in decades — and Hispanic students accounted for 81% of the drop https://t.co/7MAoaMmAVr #txlege #tx2026