{"id":2607699,"date":"2026-05-28T06:37:00","date_gmt":"2026-05-28T10:37:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/trump-loses-sway-over-cornyn-after-senate-loss\/"},"modified":"2026-05-28T06:38:10","modified_gmt":"2026-05-28T10:38:10","slug":"trump-loses-sway-over-cornyn-after-senate-loss","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/trump-loses-sway-over-cornyn-after-senate-loss\/","title":{"rendered":"Trump loses sway over Cornyn after Senate loss"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">16<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Ftrump-loses-sway-over-cornyn-after-senate-loss%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2607699&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>President Donald Trump is highly likely to face another complication in the Senate after Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) lost his primary to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and announced an early retirement. The article notes that Cornyn,similar to Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA), may become an less reliable vote for the White House even if his concession message was supportive of the GOP ticket and Trump.<\/p>\n<p>It argues Senate leadership can only afford limited Republican defections, pointing to recent difficulties such as losing a vote on war powers related to Iran and delaying action on Trump\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/nikki-haley-ends-white-house-bid\/\" title=\"Nikki Haley withdraws from White House race\">immigration enforcement bill<\/a> following backlash over an \u201canti-weaponization\u201d fund.Cornyn\u2019s influence is also highlighted as he sits on committees that could consider Cabinet nominees-where a single senator can slow or block confirmations.<\/p>\n<p>while the author suggests Cornyn may not openly break with Trump as dramatically as Cassidy, they note he previously showed some skepticism about the MAGA era and urged Republicans to move on from Trump after his election. The piece also contrasts Cornyn with other retiring or more independent Republicans-including Thom Tillis and Mitch McConnell-who have already criticized Trump on various issues.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<article class=\"fn-body\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">President <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/donald-trump\/\">Donald Trump<\/a> will soon find out whether he has a new wild card to worry about in the Senate after helping send <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/john-cornyn\/\">John Cornyn<\/a> (R-TX) into an early retirement.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Cornyn on Tuesday became the second incumbent to <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/4582071\/texas-senate-runoff-result-cornyn-paxton\/\">lose his primary<\/a> to a Trump-backed challenger, handing Senate leadership another lame duck with no incentive to back Trump or his legislative agenda. The first was Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA), who <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/accuser-testifies-ghislaine-maxwell-set-appointment-times-for-14-year-old-to-visit-epstein\/\" title=\"Accuser Testifies Ghislaine Maxwell \u2018Set Appointment Times\u2019 For 14-Year-Old To Visit Epstein\">quickly made clear<\/a> he would <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/4573703\/bill-cassidy-no-regrets-after-primary-loss\/\">use his political freedom<\/a> to criticize Trump on everything from the war in Iran to the Justice Department\u2019s $1.<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/trump-may-release-his-tax-returns-after-irs-settlement\/\" title=\"... &#039;may release&#039; his tax returns after IRS settlement\">8 billion \u201canti-weaponization\u201d fund<\/a>.<\/p>\n<section class=\"explore-more-section\" id=\"wex-recommended-widget\">\n<div class=\"magazine-container single\">\n<h1 class=\"magazine-title mt-2\">Recommended Stories<\/h1>\n<p>             <i class=\"fa-solid fa-play icon\"><\/i>         <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-grid\">\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/4583975\/ted-cruz-maria-cantwell-bipartisan-save-college-sports-bill\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Cruz and Cantwell strike bipartisan deal to \u2018save college sports\u2019 amid legal battles<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/4581932\/thune-trump-rough-patch-senate-frustrations-boil-over\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Thune navigates fresh Trump rough patch as Senate frustrations boil over<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/4582015\/senate-democrat-andy-kim-ice-clash-pepper-spray-incident\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Senate Democrat Andy Kim and ICE clash over pepper spray incident<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Cornyn\u2019s immediate message after he lost to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton was conciliatory, telling reporters gathered for his concession speech that he would support the Republican ticket this fall. And Trump, too, sought to tamp down tensions with Cornyn, <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/4583193\/trump-celebrates-ken-paxton-victory-congratulates-john-cornyn-truly-great-career\/\">calling him a \u201cfriend<\/a>\u201d and lauding his decadeslong career in the Senate.<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But if recent history is any guide, Cornyn\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >retirement instantly makes<\/a> him an unreliable vote for the White House, and Cassidy is not the president\u2019s only problem.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sens. Thom Tillis (R-NC) and Mitch McConnell (R-KY) fit into the category of retiring senators who have occasionally, and sometimes vocally, broken with the president. Several other Republicans have an independent streak but aren\u2019t up for reelection this cycle. On any party-line vote, Senate leadership can afford to lose only three Republicans. <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Cornyn downplayed the possibility that he would behave any differently if he lost on Tuesday, <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.newsnationnow.com\/politics\/john-cornyn-ken-paxton-texas-primary\/\">telling<\/a> NewsNation on the eve of the election that he wants Trump to be \u201csuccessful.\u201d Up to this point, Cornyn has gone out of his way to curry favor with the president and even abandoned his long-standing support for the filibuster in an apparent bid to win his endorsement.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Cornyn did, however, leave himself some wiggle room in his answer, saying he would pick his fights on a case-by-case basis.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Senate leadership is already having a hard time tamping down defections, <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/4575535\/senate-iran-trump-war-powers-cassidy\/\">losing a vote on the war in Iran<\/a> last week and <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/4578428\/senate-punts-immigration-enforcement-vote\/\">delaying passage of Trump\u2019s immigration enforcement bill<\/a> following an uproar over the \u201canti-weaponization\u201d fund.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Cornyn also holds immense power as a member of two committees that may consider Cabinet replacements in the coming months. A single vote could block nominees as Tillis did for months with Federal Reserve Chairman Kevin Warsh.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Senators are gone for the Memorial Day recess, giving Cornyn some breathing room after his 28-percentage-point loss to Paxton. But he will quickly be thrust back into the political spotlight when lawmakers return Monday.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There are reasons to expect Cornyn won\u2019t go as far as Cassidy in registering his disagreement. Cornyn has built his political career as a party man and is close with Senate leadership, serving as an adviser to Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD).<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He has not always been a natural fit for the MAGA era, and he urged Republicans to move on from Trump before his election to a second term.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/4579903\/thom-tillis-trump-stupid-stuff-hurting-gop\/\"><strong>THOM TILLIS CLAPS BACK AT TRUMP OVER \u2018STUPID STUFF\u2019 HURTING GOP<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Among the retiring senators, Trump dubbed Tillis a \u201cnitpicker\u201d on Friday for his repeated criticism, while McConnell has largely flown under the president\u2019s radar since he stepped down as GOP leader last year.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">McConnell focuses most of his public disagreements on foreign policy, although he took a swipe at the \u201canti-weaponization\u201d fund on Thursday, calling it \u201cutterly stupid\u201d and \u201cmorally wrong.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Trump may soon face a new Senate wild card after unseating John Cornyn, creating another lame duck<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2651,"featured_media":2607700,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/AP26147049117630-e1779902552762.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[22362,80380,3634],"class_list":["post-2607699","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-cornyn","tag-senate-loss","tag-trump"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/AP26147049117630-e1779902552762.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2607699","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2651"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2607699"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2607699\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2607703,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2607699\/revisions\/2607703"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2607700"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2607699"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2607699"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2607699"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}