Rep. Michael McCaul, a senior Republican on foreign policy and homeland security matters, announced Sunday that he will not seek re-election in 2026 and warned in an interview that the world could be on the brink of "World War III." The 63-year-old, an 11-term congressman from central Texas, said he plans to pursue a new challenge while remaining involved in foreign policy and national security.
"It has been the honor of a lifetime to represent the people of central Texas and to chair the prestigious Homeland Security and Foreign Affairs Committees," McCaul said in a statement announcing his decision. The longtime lawmaker, who served as the top Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee from 2019 until a chamber-imposed term limit at the start of 2025, made his warning during an appearance on ABC's "This Week," saying the international situation was unusually volatile.
On the program, McCaul cautioned that escalating confrontations could bring the world to a dangerous precipice. "We’ve never seen anything like this in recent times. And so, what I’m concerned about is that the escalation here and the temperature rising, we got to be very careful not to be on the precipice of a World War III," he said.
He pointed to a recent incident in which Russia launched multiple drones into Polish airspace and rejected President Donald Trump's suggestion that the move might have been accidental. "With all deference to the president, I don’t think that was a mistake. I think Putin is testing the resolve of NATO," McCaul said. McCaul has been a consistent and outspoken supporter of Ukraine since Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022 and has frequently criticized Kremlin intentions and tactics.
McCaul also questioned Russian President Vladimir Putin's sincerity in recent discussions and criticized how the Kremlin approached talks, saying, "Putin is a KGB once and always," and that he did not have "good faith anticipation" for negotiations. He added that he hoped Trump was "waking up to the fact that Putin is not negotiating in good faith." Over the weekend, Trump urged NATO allies to coordinate stepped-up sanctions to reduce revenue available to Russia's war effort.
A former federal prosecutor who focused on terrorism, McCaul chaired the House Homeland Security Committee from 2013 to 2019 and oversaw a probe into the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan during his final term on the Foreign Affairs panel. He said his father's service in World War II inspired his public service and his focus on defending the United States from global threats.
Elected to represent Texas's 10th District in 2005, McCaul won re-election comfortably in most cycles; his closest contest came in 2018, when he defeated Democrat Mike Siegel by roughly four percentage points. Political analysts note that midterm elections historically favor the party not occupying the White House, and the 2026 cycle is widely expected to present challenges for Republicans.
McCaul said he will look for a "new challenge" outside of Congress but signaled he intends to remain active in the national security and foreign policy spheres. His departure removes one of the Republican Party's most prominent voices on international affairs and homeland security as Washington confronts heightened tensions with Russia, ongoing war in Ukraine and other geopolitical flash points.
McCaul's announcement closes a two-decade congressional career during which he helped shape Republican policy on counterterrorism, border security and U.S. engagement abroad. He said in his statement that he looks forward to continuing to defend the nation against global threats in whatever role he takes next.