Former President Trump endorsed Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton over Land Commissioner George P. Bush in the state's Republican attorney general primary on Monday. 

Trump blasted out a statement calling Paxton a "true Texan who will keep Texas safe" and praised the attorney general for his stances on crime, guns, border security and "election integrity." 

"Attorney General Ken Paxton has been bravely on the front line in the fight for Texas, and America, against the vicious and very dangerous Radical Left Democrats, and the foolish and unsuspecting RINOs that are destroying our Country," Trump said. "It is going to take a PATRIOT like Ken Paxton to advance America First policies in order to Make America Great Again." 

Speculation has swirled around who would get the former president's seal of approval in the race. Trump teased an endorsement in late May, saying he liked them both very much. 

Paxton is one of Trump's staunchest allies in the Lone Star State, leading the charge to challenge President Biden's electoral win over Trump in four states. 

George P. Bush, who is the son of Trump's former GOP primary rival Jeb Bush, was notably the only prominent member of his family to endorse Trump for president in 2016. The younger Bush has frequently touted his ties to the former president. Prior to jumping into the attorney general race, he tweeted in May that he and Trump spoke over the phone about "how we are keeping up the fight to put America first."

The younger Bush announced his candidacy for attorney general last month, drawing attention to Paxton's legal issues. 

"Enough is enough, Ken," he said at his campaign kickoff event in June. "You've brought way too much scandal and too little integrity to this office."

Paxton is the subject of an FBI investigation over accusations from former senior aides that he abused his office to aid a wealthy donor.

After news of Trump's endorsement broke on Monday, George P. Bush hit Paxton over his legal troubles in a tweet. 

"I’m running for Attorney General because Texans deserve integrity and honesty from the office of Texas’ top law enforcement official," he tweeted. "Texans deserve a candidate without a laundry list of existing and potential criminal indictments."