GOP Senator predicts midterm 'disaster' could lead to 'the most miserable two years' of Trump's life

By STEPHEN M. LEPORE, US SENIOR REPORTER Published: 06:39, 12 June 2026 | Updated: 06:44, 12 June 2026 Senator John Cornyn believes Democrats could make the rest of Donald Trump's presidency 'the most miserable two years of his life' after the midterm elections. The Texas Republican was one of a series of former allies Trump has successfully ousted in recent primaries, with the four-term incumbent beaten by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. The 74-year-old sounded off on Trump and his party, especially annoyed at the President saying that Cornyn would 'remain my friend for a long time to come.'  'If that's the way friends treat you, you wonder about his enemies,' Cornyn told The New York Times.  Paxton, 63, steamrolled Cornyn in a runoff after securing a campaign-altering endorsement from Trump the week before the election.  'I had really thought that we'd gone on so long with no endorsement that he was just going to stay out of it but he couldn't resist,' the Senator said. While he believes Trump's endorsement 'had an impact' on the President's 'devoted MAGA supporters,' he thinks small turnout in the election was the most important factor.   Cornyn said Paxton and other candidates chosen by Trump were given the nod because of the President's desire for 'slavish' loyalty. Ousted Texas Republican Senator John Cornyn believes Democrats could make the rest of Donald Trump's presidency 'the most miserable two years of his life' after the midterm elections Cornyn was one of a series of former allies Trump has successfully endorsed against in recent primaries He adds that this sort of thinking will, in his opinion, lead to a midterm 'disaster' that would allow Democrats to make the rest of his term 'the most miserable two years of his life.' 'If he 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,' he said, referencing a record of voting with Trump 99.3 percent of the time. 'But obviously that's not what the senator's role is supposed to be, especially in terms of checks and balances.'  Cornyn thinks the scandals that have plagued Paxton will make him a risk to hold the seat for Republicans against Democrat James Talarico.  Cornyn has said that while he supports Paxton - whom he previously called 'an embarrassment' - he will not campaign nor raise money for him.  'It's going to make things harder, certainly more expensive in Texas, and make it harder around the country,' he 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 Daily Mail has reached out to the White House for comment.   The runoff loss amounts to a shattering end to Cornyn's long political career after issuing sparing disagreements with Trump over the last decade. Cornyn and Trump speaking at the southern border in 2019 The four-term incumbent beaten by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton  Is Trump’s demand for absolute loyalty hurting the Republican Party's future and integrity? What's your view?'I've always supported the Republican ticket and I intend to do so again in this general election,' the Senator said after conceding the race.  Cornyn, who failed to secure the endorsement after working months for it, has represented Texas in the Senate since 2002.  The end of his 23-year run comes as Trump continues to put his indelible imprint upon the Republican Party, exacting retribution among those showing even the slightest sign of disloyalty.  The longtime Texas Senator criticized Trump's response to the COVID-19 outbreak in 2020, has slammed Trump's behavior before the January 6 Capitol Riot and voted against Trump's gambits to prevent the certification of Joe Biden's victory. Paxton's victory means he will compete in a heated general election against 37-year-old Democratic candidate Talarico. Serving as Texas Attorney General since 2015, Paxton is a close Trump ally who has backed many of the President's most audacious projects, including a 2020 Supreme Court case to nullify Joe Biden's election victory.  He has also been publicly shamed by his estranged wife for infidelity, even as he's shacked up with his mistress in a tony Dallas suburb.  Paxton has spent a decade dogged by ethical and legal troubles, including a securities fraud indictment, impeachment, and allegations of bribery - surviving it all. Serving as Texas Attorney General since 2015, Paxton is a close Trump ally who has backed many of the President's most audacious projects  Paxton has been plagued by scandal, having been publicly shamed by his estranged wife Angela (pictured left) for infidelity, even as he's shacked up with his mistress in a tony Dallas suburb None of that scared away Trump, who places personal loyalty above all else.  'TEXAS, REMEMBER! Ken Paxton was a GREAT Attorney General, probably the best in the Country. He was also very loyal to your favorite President, ME,' Trump posted on social media this week. Senate Republican leadership worked for months to get the President to endorse Cornyn.  The leaders reportedly wanted to avoid a messy and expensive primary between two Republicans - though that is exactly what happened.  Roughly $130million was spent on ads in the Republican-on-Republican Texas primary, according to AdImpact, with Cornyn easily outspending his challenger. Cornyn's late-stage effort to appease the President also proved unsuccessful.  The Senator offered a bill to rename a highway after Trump and even flipped his long-held position on the filibuster after increasing pressure from the White House.  Trump did not formally endorse Paxton until a week ago. His former campaign manager Chris Lacivita worked for Cornyn while the head of the President's political operation, James Blair, backed Paxton, creating a rare divide among Trump's tight-knit team.  With her then-husband Troy Duhon (center) standing between them, Tracy Duhon (right) and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (left) pose for a photo at the Kentucky Derby in May 2024 Tracy Duhon (pictured) maintains a very public media presence, sharing stories about her faith, encouragement and Christian advice on her account. She also showcases her glamorous life in New Orleans and has 1,861 followers on Instagram Cornyn's defeat is another scalp for the President's team that has upended several of Trump's GOP targets. He also was able to get rid of Louisiana Senator Bill Cassidy, after endorsing Representative Julia Letlow. Perhaps most infamously, Kentucky Representative Thomas Massie lost after Trump backed Ed Gallrein.  But in Iowa last week, Republican voters chose Zach Lahn over the Trump-backed Randy Feenstra in the gubernatorial race. Trump also saw that state-level lawmakers in Indiana were defeated after they defied the President and did not back his redistricting plan.  Lahn was an insurgent candidate affiliated with Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr's Make America Healthy Again movement.  The comments below have not been moderated. The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? 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