Sting in the tale: Cornyn gets philosophical after blowout loss to Paxton
Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) responded to his unexpected defeat by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in the Republican primary runoff by posting the fable of the scorpion and the frog. Cornyn shared the story without description, noting it was “an old, but apt fable,” and later paired it with a Churchill quote about setbacks not being the end.
The loss followed President Donald Trump’s backing of Paxton just before the runoff, after which Cornyn had struggled with criticism from the party’s right flank for positions seen as insufficiently aligned with Trump and the MAGA wing. Cornyn’s margin of defeat-28 points-reflected how effectively paxton and allies cast him as part of the establishment rather than the populist movement.
Paxton also enters the general election with controversy, including impeachment in 2023 (later acquitted) and other legal and ethical scrutiny. Even so, the GOP primary result suggested many voters were willing to overlook those issues in favor of a candidate closely aligned with Trump.
Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) struck a philosophical tone in a recent social media post following his major loss to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in the Lone Star State’s Republican primary runoff.
The longtime senator cryptically shared the fable of the scorpion and the frog. In the story, a scorpion convinces a frog to carry it across a river, only to sting the frog midway, dooming them both. The scorpion explains the sting as being in its nature.
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Cornyn offered no reason as to why he chose to share the tale, only calling it “an old, but apt fable.”
The vague message came days after Cornyn lost his chances at keeping a seat he’s held for over two decades, after President Donald Trump endorsed Paxton in the final hour before the runoff election.
Cornyn was once considered politically untouchable in Texas, but struggled to overcome criticism from the party’s right flank. Conservatives attacked him for backing bipartisan gun legislation following the 2022 school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, and for his role in Senate negotiations on immigration and Ukraine aid.
Paxton and his allies portrayed Cornyn as out of step with Trump’s MAGA movement and too closely aligned with the Republican establishment in Washington. Their strategy worked, as Cornyn lost the primary by 28 percentage points.
Trump ultimately said he chose to support Paxton because Cornyn didn’t support him when “times were tough.” Cornyn had argued that Trump should not run again following the president’s 2020 electoral defeat, before eventually backing Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign. After Cornyn’s loss, the president congratulated him on having a “truly great career.”
Paxton enters the general election carrying significant political baggage. The attorney general was impeached by the Texas House in 2023 on allegations including bribery and abuse of office, though he was later acquitted by the Republican-controlled state Senate. He also settled a whistleblower lawsuit with former aides and has faced scrutiny over legal and ethical controversies throughout his tenure.
TRUMP LOSES SWAY OVER CORNYN AFTER TEXAS SENATE LOSS
Still, Paxton’s victory suggested many Republican voters were willing to overlook those controversies in favor of a candidate closely aligned with Trump and the party’s populist wing.
Cornyn has not publicly indicated what comes next after his loss, but he did share an optimistic quote from Winston Churchill after posting the sting in the tale fable: “Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.”
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