In a notable move on Thursday, Senator John Cornyn of Texas initiated a significant offensive against his primary competitor, Representative Wesley Hunt, branding him as “fake MAGA.”

Cornyn unveiled this critique via a newly launched microsite and a digital advertisement, supported by a five-figure financial push.

The one-minute advertisement asserts, “Wesley Hunt claims allegiance to MAGA, but evidence suggests otherwise.” The ad highlights Hunt’s 2008 vote for Hillary Clinton, the Democratic presidential candidate at the time, and accuses him of not participating in the 2016 presidential election between Clinton and Donald Trump.

Furthermore, Cornyn criticized Hunt for his record of absenteeism during votes in the House of Representatives.

The ad concludes with a pointed statement: “Texans deserve better than fake MAGA Wesley Hunt.”

Hunt explained his decision to vote in the 2008 Democratic presidential primary when he ran for Congress in 2020, saying that he was a part of an effort to lengthen the party’s primary to sow chaos among Democrats. 

Cornyn’s effort against Hunt comes after the lawmaker jumped into the state’s Republican Senate primary, facing off against Cornyn and state Attorney General Ken Paxton (R). Hunt had previously been flirting with a potential Senate bid, garnering the wrath of Cornyn and his allies in the Republican establishment. 

The National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) urged Hunt’s donors to call on him not to run in a memo first obtained by The Hill last month. 

The committee referred to Hunt’s flirtation with a potential Senate bid as “a vanity project,” warning his entrance into the GOP primary for the seat could “dilute” the party’s resources and ultimately cost the party control of the upper chamber. 

A poll conducted earlier this month by Texas Southern University and the University of Houston found Paxton is leading the field with 34 percent support among likely Republican primary voters, followed by Cornyn at 33 percent.

Hunt trailed at 22 percent and 11 percent said they were unsure, according to the survey.