Republican Sen. John Cornyn warned of a disaster ahead for Donald Trump in the midterms—and predicted two years of misery for Donald Trump as he sees out his second term as president.
The four-term Texas senator made the remarks in an interview with The New York Times following his stinging primary loss to MAGA firebrand Ken Paxton, whom Trump endorsed at the last minute.
In a major blow to the senior Republican from Texas, Trump, 79, endorsed Paxton last month, calling him “someone who has always been extremely loyal to me and our AMAZING MAGA MOVEMENT.”
The president also accused Cornyn of being disloyal and complained he “was not supportive of me when times were tough.”
Cornyn had little nice to say about Trump in an extensive interview from his Capitol office, which was published on Thursday.
The 74-year-old joined a growing number of MAGA voices who are turning on the aging president. Cornyn suggested that Trump is hurting the Republican Party with “self-serving decisions” and his insistence on “slavish” loyalty.
The president is paving the way for a midterm “disaster” that will ultimately lead to “the most miserable two years of his life,” Cornyn told the newspaper.
“I think it is going to be a pretty bumpy ride for the next seven months,” he said, referring to the upcoming midterm elections, where the Republican Party is bracing for a bruising.
The GOP holds narrow majorities in both the House and the Senate, leaving little margin for error as the midterm elections draw closer.
White House Deputy Chief of Staff James Blair has also acknowledged that the GOP faces trouble ahead, while Republican Rep. Nancy Mace admitted that she was not confident Republicans would retain control of the House of Representatives in the midterms, citing internal clashes.
Trump, meanwhile, has reportedly begged Republicans to win the midterm elections to stop Democrats from attempting to impeach him.
Cornyn appeared to make a subtle dig at Trump on social media after losing to Paxton last month, posting what he referred to as “an old, but apt fable.”
“The dying frog asks the scorpion why it stung despite knowing the consequence, to which the scorpion replies: ‘I am sorry, but I couldn’t help myself. It’s my character,’” Cornyn wrote.
The Daily Beast has contacted the White House for comment.
