Times Exclusive After Senate Loss, Cornyn Predicts 'Miserable' Final Two Years for Trump (Gift Article)

[LetMyPeopleVote]

In his first extensive interview since his defeat by a Trump-backed challenger, the Texas Republican said the Senate was in for a “bumpy ride” as he and others flex new political freedom.

Link to tweet

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/11/us/john-cornyn-interview-trump.html?unlocked_article_code=1.pVA.qVr2.X6Jg8TzT7uYD&smid=tw-share

Senator John Cornyn was not consoled when President Trump professed on social media that the senior Republican from Texas would “remain my friend for a long time to come” after the president had enthusiastically endorsed the man who defeated Mr. Cornyn, ending his Senate career.

“If that’s the way friends treat you, you wonder about his enemies,” Mr. Cornyn said this week in his first extensive interview since his loss two weeks ago to Attorney General Ken Paxton of Texas, an opponent Mr. Cornyn labeled corrupt and unfit for the Senate.

Mr. Cornyn said he had come to terms with his defeat, a stinging loss he attributed in part to public disillusionment with extreme partisan politics that led to low voter turnout. Now the Trump administration might find itself having to come to terms with Mr. Cornyn as he flexes new political freedom, joining a handful of other Senate Republicans not seeking re-election or defeated in primaries at Mr. Trump’s behest who now have added room to maneuver.

“I think it is going to be a pretty bumpy ride for the next seven months,” Mr. Cornyn said during a wide-ranging conversation in his Capitol office as he reflected on the tumultuous Texas election and his nearly quarter-century in Washington......

Mr. Cornyn stood by his attacks on Mr. Paxton and said that while he supported the party ticket, he would not campaign or raise money for his primary opponent — a loss for Mr. Paxton since Mr. Cornyn was a prolific fund-raiser. But he fears Republicans are in for a rough midterm and Mr. Trump for a difficult final two years, in part because of self-inflicted wounds such the president’s endorsement of Mr. Paxton putting the Texas seat at risk.

“It’s going to make things harder, certainly more expensive in Texas, and make it harder around the country,” Mr. Cornyn said, predicting that Mr. Trump would come to regret his actions. “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.”

[displacedvermoter]

1. He is going to vote for Blanche, as will Tillis and Cassady

"New political freedom" my ass...

[AZ8theist]

2. "Miserable" doesn't even come closs......

....to describing the amount of humiliation and LOSING I expect for the traitorous pig's last 2 years.

[Ars Longa]

3. More accurately,a truly miserable 2 years for

The AMERICAN PEOPLE!!:

[LetMyPeopleVote]

4. MaddowBlog-After Trump became a problem for Cornyn, Cornyn may soon become a problem for Trump

“There’s never going to be good enough for him, other than 100%, you know, slavish adherence to whatever he wants,” the Texan said about Trump.

After Trump became a problem for Cornyn, Cornyn may soon become a problem for Trump - MS NOW apple.news/A_WYakqEzRT2...

— (@oc88.bsky.social) 2026-06-13T03:40:49.001Z

An obvious question soon followed: After Trump became a problem for Cornyn, would Cornyn become a problem for Trump? An answer is starting to come into focus. The New York Times reported:

Now the Trump administration might find itself having to come to terms with Mr. Cornyn as he flexes new political freedom, joining a handful of other Senate Republicans not seeking re-election or defeated in primaries at Mr. Trump’s behest who now have added room to maneuver.

“I think it is going to be a pretty bumpy ride for the next seven months,” Mr. Cornyn said during a wide-ranging conversation in his Capitol office as he reflected on the tumultuous Texas election and his nearly quarter-century in Washington.

....But the Times’ report highlighted an issue of even greater significance.

After Trump withdrew his outlandish $10 billion lawsuit against the IRS last month, he received two scandalous rewards from his own administration. The first was the creation of a nearly $1.8 billion compensation fund, while the other was an IRS audit shield, unveiled by his Justice Department, granting Trump, his family and his controversial businesses immunity from all existing IRS tax audits.

Of the two rewards, the former appears to have been discarded in the face of overwhelming bipartisan opposition, while the latter remains intact.

Cornyn, however, is opposed to both.

“I think that’s a terrible mistake,” Cornyn told the Times, referring to the audit shield. “The president needs to be treated like everybody else.”

Putting aside the question of why it took a full decade for Cornyn to recognize this problem, he has a unique opportunity to partner with the so-called YOLO caucus with six months remaining before his involuntary exit from Capitol Hill. Watch this space