Cornyn predicts post-midterms will be ‘most miserable two years’ of Trump’s life
by Ryan Mancini - 06/11/26 11:01 PM ET
Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) predicted in a new interview that the two years after the November midterm elections will be the “most miserable two years” of President Trump’s life.
Cornyn spoke with The New York Times in his first extensive interview following his defeat to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R), who Trump endorsed shortly before the Lone Star State’s primary runoff last month.
He foresees a rough future for Republican lawmakers and the president during the remainder of Trump’s term, and suggested that the Senate is also in for a “bumpy ride” the rest of this year. He added that Trump is hurting the party with his insistence on “slavish” loyalty.
“It’s going to make things harder, certainly more expensive in Texas, and make it harder around the country,” Cornyn said. “I don’t say that with any sort of desire for vengeance; I just think that’s the way it’s going to be. He’s going to have the most miserable two years of his life in the last two years of his term, I think, because I think November is going to be a disaster.”
The Texas Republican said he is not a “wounded bear” looking for payback or retribution, though he maintained that he holds the right to choose “where I’m going to –– or going to not defer” to Trump.
Cornyn said he thought he and Paxton would square off in the primary runoff without Trump’s endorsement in the race, but “he couldn’t resist.” The senator said when “devoted MAGA supporters… saw what President Trump said when he said it, I think it no doubt had an influence.”
“I do think the most important factor was just the small turnout, but certainly the president’s endorsement had an impact,” he added.
Cornyn has been outspoken in his criticisms of some Trump policy items. He was loyal to Trump following the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack, while fellow incumbent Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.), who has also criticized the president, voted to convict him and subsequently lost his state’s recent GOP primary.
Referring to his vote to acquit the president during Trump’s second impeachment, Cornyn told the outlet that Trump threw him under the bus and that if the president “would do that to me, he would do that to anybody.”
“There’s never going to be good enough for him, other than 100 percent, you know, slavish adherence to whatever he wants,” the senator told the Times. “But obviously that’s not what the senator’s role is supposed to be, especially in terms of checks and balances.”
Cornyn previously told NewsNation’s Chris Stirewalt that not receiving Trump’s endorsement differed from what happened to Cassidy and Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), who also lost to a Trump-endorsed opponent recently.
The Texas lawmaker warned that if Democrats win back control of Congress, Trump will face a third impeachment and it will be impossible for him to get his legislative agenda passed.
https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/5921181-cornyn-predicts-trump-miserable-years/
