Trump's scorched-earth MAGA takedown jolts Republicans who fear November bloodbath: 'Rome is burning'By JON MICHAEL RAASCH, WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT
Published: 00:40 EDT, 27 May 2026 | Updated: 10:07 EDT, 27 May 2026
Donald Trump has officially sunk 'disloyal' Texas Senator John Cornyn, but his high-stakes gambit to oust a veteran Republican will almost certainly cost the party.
Top Republicans think the Texas tab could top $200 million.
The worst-case cost for the GOP?
The prized red state Senate seat falling into Democratic hands in six months.
Cornyn's resounding double-digit defeat to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in Tuesday evening's runoff demonstrates Trump's enduring stranglehold on the GOP.
But his decision to punish a well-funded incumbent and instead throw his weight behind a scandal-plagued nominee now presents fresh problems for the party.
The race could cost the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) an additional $250 million, GOP strategist David Urban told CNN recently.
'Our majority is melting down before our eyes,' an anonymous Republican Senator lamented to Punchbowl News last week.
Paxton is seen as more controversial than the institutionally reliable Cornyn, and as a non-incumbent, questions remain about how he will fare.
Democratic nominee James Talarico will be well-funded, but must prove Texas has an appetite for a liberal newcomer.
Some Republicans believe Trump has taken his eye off the ball, mired as he is in a war with Iran while the economy flags.
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