Cornyn: Trump Is Set to Have the Worst 2 Years of His Life

Sen. John Cornyn is leaving the Senate, but he's not going quietly. In his first in-depth interview since losing his Texas primary to President Trump-backed Ken Paxton, the longtime Republican senator tells the New York Times that Trump is steering the party toward a midterm "disaster" in November that could make the president's final two years in office "the most miserable two years of his life." Cornyn, who says Trump threw him under the bus despite a near-perfect pro-Trump voting record, argues the president demands "slavish" loyalty that clashes with the Senate's role as a check on executive power.

Freed from reelection pressures, Cornyn says he and other lame-duck Republicans now have "a little more freedom, and certainly leverage." "As the president told President Zelensky when he was in his office a year or so ago—he said, 'You don't have any cards.' Well, we've got some cards to play," Cornyn says. He's already targeting a Justice Department deal that shields Trump and his family from certain IRS scrutiny, calling it "a terrible mistake" and insisting the president "be treated like everybody else." Cornyn says he thinks it's "going to be a pretty bumpy ride for the next seven months."

Cornyn blames low turnout, in part, for his loss and won't help Paxton campaign or raise money, even as he vows to back the GOP ticket. He says that before Trump's last-minute endorsement, he thought the president had decided to stay out of the race. "But he couldn't resist," Cornyn says. He predicts Trump will come to regret intervening in Texas—and says he's personally at peace.

• "I am going to continue to look for opportunities to make this next seven months as productive as possible," he tells the Times. "I've always said that former senators look happier, healthier, and they're certainly more prosperous. So, I'm kind of, like, looking forward to what comes next." Cornyn, 72, was first elected to the Senate in 2002.
• In a Truth Social post congratulating Paxton on his win last month, Trump said Cornyn will remain his friend "for a long time to come." Cornyn says, "If that's the way friends treat you, you wonder about his enemies."