{"id":2980,"date":"2026-05-26T11:39:39","date_gmt":"2026-05-26T11:39:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usglobalnews.com\/2026\/05\/26\/texas-senate-runoff-sees-surge-of-anti-muslim-rhetoric-in-campaign-ads\/"},"modified":"2026-05-26T11:39:39","modified_gmt":"2026-05-26T11:39:39","slug":"texas-senate-runoff-sees-surge-of-anti-muslim-rhetoric-in-campaign-ads","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/?p=2980","title":{"rendered":"Texas Senate runoff sees surge of anti-Muslim rhetoric in campaign ads"},"content":{"rendered":"<div style=\"border-color:var(--article-border);background-color:var(--article-inner-background)\" class=\"dcr-wqti5a\">\n<div class=\"dcr-2zxs1v\">\n<div style=\"--grid-area:media\" data-gu-name=\"media\" class=\"dcr-1fnjjtg\">\n<div class=\"dcr-14emo0l\">\n<div class=\"dcr-tr9ye5\">\n<figure id=\"267bbcc3-1573-407c-ab43-d25ec7b40877\" class=\"dcr-142siv7\">\n<div id=\"img-1\" class=\"dcr-1t8m8f2\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Photo collage of man in blue suit and man in black suit\" src=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/87e4fa548771cd65f343068ec08e516839de0cec\/0_0_1500_1200\/master\/1500.jpg?width=465&amp;dpr=1&amp;s=none&amp;crop=none\" width=\"465\" height=\"372\" loading=\"eager\" class=\"dcr-evn1e9\"><span class=\"dcr-v822l1\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-gup2gr\">\n<div class=\"dcr-fntg6k\"><label for=\"the-checkbox\" class=\"dcr-1xgwz8b\"><\/label> <\/p>\n<div id=\"the-caption\"><figcaption data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-1os51wo\"><span class=\"dcr-hvsf4t\"><\/span><span class=\"dcr-1qvd3m6\">John Cornyn, a US senator, after voting at the Circle C community center and Ken Paxton, Texas\u2019 attorney general, during the Conservative Political Action Conference (Cpac) on 27 March 2026.<\/span> Composite: The Austin American-Statesman, Bloomberg, Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/span><a href=\"#img-1\" data-ignore=\"global-link-styling\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-13fd1ms\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><button data-element-id=\"267bbcc3-1573-407c-ab43-d25ec7b40877\" type=\"button\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-4tmywn\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\"><span class=\"dcr-194i6pr\">View image in fullscreen<\/span><\/button><\/a><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"dcr-n4pnam\"><figcaption data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-1hdkqum\"><span class=\"dcr-hvsf4t\"><\/span><span class=\"dcr-1qvd3m6\">John Cornyn, a US senator, after voting at the Circle C community center and Ken Paxton, Texas\u2019 attorney general, during the Conservative Political Action Conference (Cpac) on 27 March 2026.<\/span> Composite: The Austin American-Statesman, Bloomberg, Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/span><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"--grid-area:border\" data-gu-name=\"border\" class=\"dcr-1fnjjtg\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"--grid-area:headline\" data-gu-name=\"headline\" class=\"dcr-1fnjjtg\">\n<div class=\"dcr-14emo0l\">\n<div class=\"dcr-1aqe7zu\">\n<div class=\"dcr-13sure5\">\n<div class=\"dcr-47lvke\"><a href=\"\/tone\/analysis\" class=\"dcr-epjkf7\">Analysis<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h1 class=\"dcr-1k1a1x\">Texas Senate runoff sees surge of anti-Muslim rhetoric in campaign ads<\/h1>\n<div class=\"dcr-isvq2p\">\n<div class=\"dcr-acy0w6\"><span>Tyler Hicks<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"--grid-area:standfirst\" data-gu-name=\"standfirst\" class=\"dcr-1fnjjtg\">\n<div class=\"dcr-1b20i6h\">\n<p>Runoff between John Cornyn and Ken Paxton features ads and legal disputes targeting Texas Muslims<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"--grid-area:body\" data-gu-name=\"body\" class=\"dcr-kn9unn\">\n<div class=\"dcr-1a4fred\">\n<div id=\"maincontent\" class=\"dcr-ydnaza\">\n<div class=\"article-body-commercial-selector article-body-viewer-selector dcr-1c9t5u6\">\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">In the bitter and expensiv<a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/search?q=us+Senate+site%3Atheguardian.com&amp;sca_esv=bb6909982b54b99b&amp;sxsrf=ANbL-n4ocJOZjB6W0L-QtRomeav0sAf2-g%3A1779719418475&amp;ei=-lwUasTYHKqh0PEPxOqF-Ak&amp;biw=971&amp;bih=798&amp;ved=0ahUKEwjEvfO909SUAxWqEDQIHUR1AZ8Q4dUDCBA&amp;uact=5&amp;oq=us+Senate+site%3Atheguardian.com&amp;gs_lp=Egxnd3Mtd2l6LXNlcnAiHnVzIFNlbmF0ZSBzaXRlOnRoZWd1YXJkaWFuLmNvbUiOAlAAWFpwAHgAkAEAmAE6oAF0qgEBMrgBA8gBAPgBAZgCAKACAJgDAJIHAKAHGLIHALgHAMIHAMgHAIAIAQ&amp;sclient=gws-wiz-serp\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">e US Senate<\/a> runoff between John Cornyn, the incumbent, and Ken Paxton, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/texas\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">Texas<\/a> attorney general, the state\u2019s Muslim community has been a frequent target for campaign ads and legal challenges.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Both candidates have tried to portray the other as either too soft on the supposed threat of Islam or insufficiently aggressive toward Muslim institutions.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cEvery time it\u2019s an election year, this is one of the favorite cards that the GOP plays to get votes,\u201d said Shehla Faizi, a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/texas\" data-link-name=\"in body link\" data-component=\"auto-linked-tag\">Texas<\/a> Muslim running for state comptroller as a member of the Green party. \u201cWe have a boogeyman, the boogeyman are Muslims, and we\u2019re going to use that to make people afraid and force them to vote for us.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Yet the many experts and advocates interviewed for this story all agreed that the frequency and vitriol of this year\u2019s anti-Islam attacks seems to have reached a fever pitch \u2013 an observation <a href=\"https:\/\/www.csohate.org\/2026\/03\/09\/us-israel-iran-war-islamophobia\/\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">backed up by data<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Specifically, Paxton and Paxton-allied groups ran ads accusing Cornyn of supporting \u201cMuslim mass <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/usimmigration\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">immigration<\/a>\u201d and having \u201ca special place in his heart for radical Islam\u201d. Cornyn, meanwhile, has responded by emphasizing his record \u201cfighting radical Islamic extremism\u201d and drafting a bill aimed at \u201c[stopping] the spread of Sharia Law in the U.S.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Even though the Senate campaign will come to an end with the 26 May election, Texas Muslims say <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/republicans\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">Republican<\/a> politicians are fanning the flames of anti-Muslim bigotry that\u2019s already been at the center of <a href=\"https:\/\/religionnews.com\/2025\/12\/03\/muslim-students-warn-of-spate-of-harassment-by-far-right-christian-agitators\/\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">many<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kut.org\/crime-justice\/2025-12-30\/anti-muslim-protest-austin-police-apd-hate-speech-tx\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">racist<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.houstonpublicmedia.org\/articles\/news\/religion\/2025\/11\/05\/535207\/muslim-student-group-says-a-protestor-burned-a-quran-during-prayer-at-university-of-houston\/?amp=1\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">incidents<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/amp\/texas\/news\/muslim-leaders-call-for-action-student-group-prayer-plano-park-verbal-attack\/\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">in Texas<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201c[Politicians] took an oath as an elected official to do the right thing, and the future of our state and our country depends upon it,\u201d said Sameeha Rizvi, a Texas-based civic engagement coordinator for the Council on American-Islamic Relations. \u201cWhat you are doing right now by instilling hate and fear and misinformation is only going to create more division, more hate crimes and more attacks like what we saw in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2026\/may\/22\/san-diego-mosque-shooter-pro-nazi-fbi\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">San Diego<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Neither Cornyn or Paxton responded to questions for this story.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"sharia-law-concerns\" class=\"dcr-12ibh7f\">\u2018Sharia law\u2019 concerns<\/h2>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">For much of the last year, both Cornyn and Paxton have taken turns criticizing a real estate development planned by leaders of the East Plano Islamic Center.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Cornyn was one of several Republican leaders who raised concerns that the development could involve discriminatory practices or the influence of \u201cSharia law\u201d, claims organizers denied.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">The senator successfully urged the US Department of Justice to open a civil rights investigation into the development.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">The DoJ ultimately closed its investigation without taking any formal action, but Paxton has picked up the fight at the state level, pursuing multiple kinds of litigation against the real estate project and its affiliates.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cThe idea that Texas courts would ever be enforcing Sharia law, or that anyone would be involuntarily subjected to the dictates of Sharia law is pretty farfetched,\u201d said Dr Matthew Wilson, a political science professor at Southern Methodist University who studies religion and politics. \u201cAnd yet, we keep seeing this referenced in these campaigns.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Wilson points out that less than two percent of the Texas population identifies as Muslim, but several factors, including the current war with Iran, make criticisms of Islam resonant with Republican voters. Additionally, both Wilson and Dr Brandon Rottinghaus, a political science professor at the University of Houston, point out that Republican primaries today ultimately come down to who can most clearly align themselves with president <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/donaldtrump\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">Donald Trump<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">The president made his \u201cMuslim ban\u201d a core feature of his first campaign and first term as president, arguing that halting immigration from Muslim-majority countries was a matter of national security. He renewed those calls after the 7 October attacks perpetrated by Hamas.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Pew research during Trump\u2019s first term showed 70% of Republicans believed the Islamic religion is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pewresearch.org\/religion\/2017\/07\/26\/how-the-u-s-general-public-views-muslims-and-islam\/\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">likelier than others <\/a>to encourage violence among its followers, while more recent research from the University of Maryland shows a <a href=\"https:\/\/criticalissues.umd.edu\/sites\/criticalissues.umd.edu\/files\/CIP%20Spring%202024%20Report_Final.pdf\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">sharp decrease<\/a> in \u201cfavorable\u201d attitudes towards Muslims between 2016 and 2024. In that same study, among groups like white Americans, Christian Americans and Jewish Americans, Muslim Americans were considered the least likely to \u201cstrengthen\u201d American society.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Meanwhile, a vote for Trump was one of the strongest factors associated with Islamophobic attitudes in the <a href=\"https:\/\/ispu.org\/poll\/american-muslim-poll-2025-full-report-4\/\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">2025 Islamophobia Index<\/a> published by the Institute for Social Policy &amp; Understanding.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cThe primary runoffs are about the molten core of what the base wants politically,\u201d said Dr Rottinghaus.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">As such, the veteran political scientist sees Cornyn and Paxton\u2019s focus on Islam as part of their broader efforts to generate turnout among the most fervent members of the Maga base.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Both Cornyn and Paxton spent months aggressively courting Trump\u2019s endorsement, treating it as the defining prize in their runoff after <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2026\/mar\/03\/texas-republicans-senate-john-cornyn-ken-paxton\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">neither captured 50% of the vote<\/a> in the primary. Trump ultimately endorsed Paxton a week before the runoff vote, praising him as a \u201ctrue MAGA Warrior\u201d while criticizing Cornyn for being \u201cvery late\u201d to support his 2024 comeback bid.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Wilson and Rottinghaus both added that this runoff has pulled Cornyn even further to the right \u2013 and his focus on issues like \u201cSharia law\u201d could backfire.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cJohn Cornyn talking about these issues is really only motivating people who are likely to back <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/ken-paxton\" data-link-name=\"in body link\" data-component=\"auto-linked-tag\">Ken Paxton<\/a>,\u201d Rottinghaus said. \u201cPriming only the most conservative issues is just narrowing the electorate, because obviously these are the most committed voters, but these committed voters are likely to back Paxton.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Islamophobia is not limited to the Cornyn-Paxton race or to Texas.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">In Florida, Randy Fine, a Republican House representative, recently tweeted: \u201cIf they force us to choose, the choice between dogs and Muslims is not a difficult one.\u201d Andy Ogles, a GOP House rep from Tennessee, said \u201cMuslims don\u2019t belong in American society.\u201d And Tommy Tuberville, a college football coach-turned-Alabama senator, said Islam is a cult.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cIslamists aren\u2019t here to assimilate,\u201d he\u2019s also said. \u201cThey\u2019re here to conquer.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">But purported concerns over Islam seem to be playing an outsized role in Texas politics, where two Congressmen recently founded a \u201cSharia-free America\u201d caucus. Wilson, the SMU professor, points out that Islam has even been central to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.texasobserver.org\/bo-french-blood-and-oil-railroad-commissioner\/?goal=0_975e2d1fa1-96be8e61b1-34748416&amp;mc_cid=96be8e61b1&amp;mc_eid=bd0b617a60\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">the race for Texas Railroad Commissioner<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Bo French, one of the contenders for commissioner, once created a Twitter poll asking people to vote on where Jews or Muslims are a bigger threat to America. The poll drew sharp rebukes from many Republicans, including Cornyn, but French\u2019s candidacy for railroad commissioner has drawn endorsements from a host of other Republican politicians. Most recently, he said \u201cIslam poses an existential threat to Texans\u2019 way of life.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Greg Abbott, the governor, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2025\/dec\/05\/gregg-abbotts-cair-terror-label-stokes-legal-fight-in-texass-long-struggle-with-islamophobia\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">designated<\/a> the Council on American-Islamic Relations (Cair) as a foreign terrorist organization under Texas law, a move Cair has challenged in court. The governor also sent sheriffs and local district attorneys in two North Texas counties <a href=\"https:\/\/gov.texas.gov\/uploads\/files\/press\/Sharia_Courts_Letter.pdf\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">a letter<\/a> urging them to work with Paxton, the state attorney general, \u201cto investigate efforts by entities purporting to illegally enforce Sharia law in Texas\u201d.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cGovernor Abbott\u2019s actions are targeted at radical groups who support terrorism and seek to forcibly impose Sharia law on Texans,\u201d a spokesman for the governor said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Many of the people interviewed for this story \u2013 including professors, aspiring politicians and Texas students \u2013 say there\u2019s another reason Islam has become a central focus for the Texas GOP.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">The Republican party at large has long aligned itself with Israel, and during what <a href=\"https:\/\/www.amnesty.org\/en\/latest\/news\/2025\/07\/israel-opt-israeli-organizations-conclude-israel-committing-genocide-against-palestinians-in-gaza-in-another-milestone-for-accountability-efforts\/\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">many<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hrw.org\/news\/2024\/12\/19\/israels-crime-extermination-acts-genocide-gaza\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">human rights organizations<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.amnesty.org\/en\/latest\/news\/2024\/12\/amnesty-international-concludes-israel-is-committing-genocide-against-palestinians-in-gaza\/\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">say<\/a> is a genocide against Palestinians, both antisemitism and Islamophobia have <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visionofhumanity.org\/gaza-conflict-leads-to-rise-in-antisemitism-and-islamophobia\/\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">risen<\/a>. Multiple Texas Muslims interviewed for this story say criticism of Israel is often conflated with antisemitism, which, in turn, leads to backlash against Islam and Muslims.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cConflating our criticism of the Israeli government with hate towards the Jewish community is very hurtful to see, because it\u2019s not true,\u201d Rizvi said. \u201cI\u2019ve seen some resurgence in that, and it\u2019s becoming to the point where they\u2019re refusing to address the real hate crimes that we\u2019re facing, but they still want to focus on the fact that us criticizing Israel is antisemitic.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Sarah Khalid, a member of the Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) at the University of Texas at Dallas, said \u201canti-Muslim rhetoric and the repression of Palestinian organizing\u201d is \u201cmanufactured by the same machine, manufactured by the same system\u201d.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">As she puts it, that \u201cmachine\u201d includes politicians and universities, many of whom have cracked down on pro-Palestine protests in recent years. Her SJP chapter is <a href=\"https:\/\/retrogradenews.com\/2026\/05\/21\/sjp-dallas-sues-utd-alleging-that-the-university-violated-their-constitutional-rights-used-excessive-force-maliciously-prosecuted-students\/\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">suing<\/a> the University of Texas at Dallas, alleging the school violated their constitutional rights through surveillance, excessive force, retaliatory discipline and wrongful arrests. The lawsuit claims that, during those arrests, university police used chokeholds and other force against protesters.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">That\u2019s just one example of Texans standing up for one another amidst bigotry, even when it\u2019s difficult. Shehla Faizi, the comptroller candidate, says recent hate crimes \u201cmake it difficult to come together without fear of retribution\u201d.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">In 2020, Faizi started a podcast called \u201cI\u2019m A Muslim (And That\u2019s Okay!)\u201c She produced it for about five years, during which time she included a segment called \u201cAsk a Muslim\u201d, in which she encouraged listeners to ask her anything. She laughs with joy thinking about the questions she got, including, \u201cDo you shower with a hijab?\u201d She didn\u2019t mind them; It\u2019s clear she enjoyed the podcast and saw it as an opportunity to educate people. However, she recently realized \u201cthe time for just discussion was over. It was a critical point that we had to do more as opposed to speak more.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">That\u2019s why she\u2019s running for office.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cWe are heading in a direction where we need more people to resist authoritarian power, oligarchy overreach,\u201d she said. \u201cAll of these things are no longer acceptable, especially for the common people. And that\u2019s who I wish to represent.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Rizvi said Muslims have long been a part of Texas and the US, and they\u2019re eager to live in peaceful community with their fellow Texans.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cMuslims in America in general have been here for a very long time, all the way back to the enslaved ships,\u201d she said. \u201cLeaders like Thomas Jefferson studied Islam. Muslims are not your enemies in Texas. We\u2019ve always existed with each other. We are your neighbors.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-print-layout=\"hide\" class=\"dcr-qxqnsy\"><span class=\"dcr-1rq3vad\">Explore more on these topics<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-1dzx48f\">\n<ul class=\"dcr-1rrvs2w\">\n<li class=\"dcr-hj8byr\"><a href=\"\/us-news\/texas\" class=\"dcr-1gwziyt\">Texas<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-hj8byr\"><a href=\"\/politics\/may-2026-elections\" class=\"dcr-1gwziyt\">May 2026 elections<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-hj8byr\"><a href=\"\/politics\/local-elections-2026\" class=\"dcr-1gwziyt\">Local elections 2026<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-hj8byr\"><a href=\"\/us-news\/us-politics\" class=\"dcr-1gwziyt\">US politics<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-hj8byr\"><a href=\"\/us-news\/ken-paxton\" class=\"dcr-1gwziyt\">Ken Paxton<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-hj8byr\"><a href=\"\/tone\/analysis\" class=\"dcr-1gwziyt\">analysis<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"dcr-nu129i\"><a href=\"mailto:?subject=Texas%20Senate%20runoff%20sees%20surge%20of%20anti-Muslim%20rhetoric%20in%20campaign%20ads&amp;body=https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2026\/may\/26\/texas-senate-runoff-anti-muslim-ad?CMP=share_btn_url\" class=\"dcr-125qj9d\">Share<\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-zhx6xs\"><a data-link-name=\"meta-syndication-article\" href=\"https:\/\/syndication.theguardian.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fus-news%2F2026%2Fmay%2F26%2Ftexas-senate-runoff-anti-muslim-ad&amp;type=article&amp;internalpagecode=us-news\/2026\/may\/26\/texas-senate-runoff-anti-muslim-ad\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\" title=\"Reuse this content\" class=\"dcr-14rjinq\">Reuse this content<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"--grid-area:right-column\" data-gu-name=\"right-column\" class=\"dcr-1h2hraq\">\n<div class=\"dcr-tn16h9\">\n<section class=\"dcr-1hko8ef\"><\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>John Cornyn, a US senator, after voting at the Circle C community center and Ken Paxton, Texas\u2019 attorney<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":2982,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2980","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-world-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2980","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2980"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2980\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/2982"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2980"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2980"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2980"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}