Trump's endorsement in the Texas Senate race may hinge on passage of the SAVE America Act

Trump frequently brings up the SAVE America Act, which would impose stricter voting requirements. He told NBC News he is "not doing anything" until Congress passes it.

WASHINGTON — A week ago, President Donald Trump had seemed ready to endorse Republican Sen. John Cornyn of Texas over a GOP primary challenger, potentially clearing the field so the party could shift focus to defeating the Democratic opponent in November.

The endorsement didn’t come. A senior Trump administration official said Tuesday that Trump’s decision about whom to endorse, Cornyn or Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, is in “a holding pattern.” As the days pass, Republicans are growing anxious.

“You’ve got to ask yourself: Why is he waiting?” a Republican senator said in an interview.

One reason seems to be that Trump has linked his endorsement to the fate of a bill that would impose stricter voting requirements. Trump appears to be using his endorsement — considered the most powerful in Republican politics — as leverage to prod Republican lawmakers to pass a measure that is stalled in the Senate.

A senior administration official didn’t dispute that Trump is tying his endorsement to legislation he sorely wants passed.