PoliticsGeorge W. Bush's Brother Says Donald Trump Has Done 'Enormous Damage' to GOP as He Votes Against MAGA Pick Ken Paxton in Texas Senate Race
A Bush family member has rejected Donald Trump and his MAGA pick Ken Paxton.
Oct. 21 2026, Published 8:02 p.m. ET
Neil Bush, the 71-year-old younger brother of former President George W. Bush and son of former President George H.W. Bush, has launched a sharp attack on President Donald Trump and broken party lines to vote against Trump’s handpicked candidate, Ken Paxton, in the Texas U.S. Senate race.
Bush revealed in a Facebook post on Tuesday, October 20, that he cast an early ballot for Democratic candidate James Talarico, 37, instead of the Trump-endorsed Republican incumbent.
“Today, I voted against a style of politics that I believe has damaged our country,” he said. “More importantly, I voted for the kind of character and leadership I hope will help heal it.”
'Character Matters More Than Party Affiliation'
Neil Bush condemned the 'enormous damage' Donald Trump has inflicted on the GOP.
Bush condemned the "enormous damage" Trump has inflicted upon the Republican Party, stating that "character outweighs party.”
“More broadly, I believe Donald Trump and those who have enabled him have done enormous damage to the Republican Party,” he wrote. “I worry about a political culture in which loyalty to an individual takes precedence over loyalty to principle, and where those who hold power begin to believe they are no longer accountable.”
“I have been a Republican for most of my life, and I still believe deeply in many traditional Republican principles,” Bush wrote in his deliberate Facebook post. “But character matters more than party affiliation.”
Neil Bush 'Deeply Troubled' by Ken Paxton's 'Conduct as Texas Attorney General'
Neil Bush blasted scandal-plagued Ken Paxton and his efforts to help Donald Trump overturn the 2020 election.
He specifically targeted Paxton, accusing the scandal-plagued Texas politician of attempting to assist Trump in overturning the 2020 presidential election results.
“I have been deeply troubled by Paxton's conduct as Texas Attorney General, particularly his decision to challenge the results of the 2020 presidential election in other states in an effort to help Donald Trump remain in power. I believe that effort was an affront to our democratic institutions and the peaceful transfer of power,” he wrote.
Bush praised Talarico, saying, “I’ve never met James Talarico, but I have been enormously impressed by the way he approaches complicated and controversial issues."
"He speaks with respect, seeks common ground, and seems genuinely interested in bringing people together rather than driving them apart," he wrote.
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Bush Family Breaks Party Lines With Democratic Texas Endorsements
Neil Bush's comments come following the admission of niece Barbara Bush's support for Democrat James Talarico.
The announcement follows reports that other family members, including George W. Bush's daughter Barbara Bush, 44, have financially supported Talarico’s campaign to flip the Texas Senate seat.
The high profile Republican support for the Democratic candidate highlights a deepening divide between the traditional Texas Republican establishment and Trump-backed "MAGA" candidates like Paxton.
'A Blue Wave in the Lone Star State Would Be Seismic'
Polls show a tight race between Ken Paxton and James Talarico.
Polls show a tight race in Texas, with Talarico narrowly ahead of Paxton.
If Talarico wins, he would be the first Democrat to win a statewide race in Texas in 32 years.
The Guardian's "Politics Weekly America" podcast host Jonathan Freedland discussed the race with James Henson, founder of the Texas Politics Project, noting that "a blue wave in the Lone Star state would be seismic."
