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GOP Leader Thune Sticks By Cornyn After Trump Endorses Paxton in Texas Senate Primary
C-SPAN ^ | May 19, 2026

Posted on 05/19/2026 1:22:20 PM PDT by MinorityRepublican

Senate Majority Leader John Thune says he will continue to support Sen. John Cornyn's (R-TX) reelection campaign after President Trump threw his support behind primary challenger and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.

Thune says, "Senator Cornyn is a principled conservative. He is a very effective senator for the state of Texas but none of us control what the president does." Thune says he still feels "very good" about Senate Republicans' position headed into the midterms and suggests it's possible Republicans even expand their majority.

Thune says he learned about the Paxton endorsement like everyone else when the president posted it on his Truth Social platform.

(Excerpt) Read more at c-span.org ...


TOPICS: Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: assistantdemocrats; cornhole; rinos; senate; thoon
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1 posted on 05/19/2026 1:22:20 PM PDT by MinorityRepublican
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To: MinorityRepublican

Then pass the SAVE Act.


2 posted on 05/19/2026 1:23:33 PM PDT by InsidiousMongo
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To: MinorityRepublican

RINOs of a feather.


3 posted on 05/19/2026 1:23:47 PM PDT by dfwgator ("I am Charlie Kirk!")
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To: MinorityRepublican

Principled = wipes with a napkin after blowing Democrats


4 posted on 05/19/2026 1:25:17 PM PDT by Still Thinking (Freedom is NOT a loophole!)
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To: MinorityRepublican

Thune needs to be the next one who is primaried out of a job


5 posted on 05/19/2026 1:25:23 PM PDT by ducttape45 (Jeremiah 17:9, "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?")
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To: MinorityRepublican

Imagine my surprise


6 posted on 05/19/2026 1:33:13 PM PDT by william clark (A man who is unwilling to be proven wrong has little regard for truth.)
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To: MinorityRepublican

7 posted on 05/19/2026 1:33:27 PM PDT by Albion Wilde (The first duty of the American government is to protect American citizens, not illegal aliens. --DJT)
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To: InsidiousMongo
Then pass the SAVE Act.

⬆️⬆️⬆️THIS⬆️⬆️⬆️

8 posted on 05/19/2026 1:34:08 PM PDT by thegagline (Sic semper tyrannis! Trump & Vance, 2024! (Formerly) Goldwater & Thomas Sowell)
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To: MinorityRepublican

Perhaps if the founts of wisdom concentrated on the relative virtues of Ken Paxton, as contrasted with the various lapses by John Cornyn, then a much less contentious confrontation between the factions supporting one or the other will be appearing in the dreaded mainstream press.

The time to pass the torch is BEFORE the former holder has lost much of the reputation built on past achievements. Then all separate with honor and acclaim, and the continuity is much smoother.


9 posted on 05/19/2026 1:36:05 PM PDT by alloysteel (The body may betray or fail. The spirit shall endure and prevail. Courage, courage.)
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To: MinorityRepublican

Cornyn is emblematic of what is wrong with elected republicans. There should be no doubt Cornyn’s talking points on passing the save act would be exactly the same as Thune’s if he wasn’t facing a difficult primary. Sending Cornyn back is the definition of insanity.


10 posted on 05/19/2026 1:36:52 PM PDT by Yogafist
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To: MinorityRepublican

For a whole lot of reasons the hostilities between Trump and the GOPe snakes in the senate were not “open” in Trump’s first term.

Once Trump took a bullet at Butler, PA, he saw little reason to not take on his enemies in his “own” party as well as his other enemies.

I don’t like the fact we went to war in Iran, but it was necessary.

There are those who do not like the fact that Trump is taking on the snakes and traitors in the Republican wing of the uniparty as the pearl clutchers and hand wringers are scared of losing the slim majority in the House.

Who cares if we lose the majority in the House if we can’t get Voter ID passed with BOTH congressional majorities?

Trump is a fighter.

And he is fighting the good fight both in Iran and in the snakepit which is the United Elites Senate.


11 posted on 05/19/2026 1:38:54 PM PDT by Biblebelter
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To: Yogafist

Thune ousted Tom Daschle in ‘04. That’s good. The turtle was good for Justice appointments. Time to move on.


12 posted on 05/19/2026 1:40:49 PM PDT by DIRTYSECRET
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To: dfwgator

Thune Sticks By Cornyn”

Of course he does because they are both unprincipled rino cowards.


13 posted on 05/19/2026 1:41:18 PM PDT by gibsonguy
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To: MinorityRepublican

Thune chose poorly. When will Trump go after Thune and support someone to primary him out of office. Thune is way worse than the ones Trump is picking fights with like MTG, Boebert, Massie etc.


14 posted on 05/19/2026 1:42:21 PM PDT by Blue Highway ( )
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To: MinorityRepublican

RINOs of a feather stick together.


15 posted on 05/19/2026 1:42:27 PM PDT by antidemoncrat
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To: dfwgator

I hope the Citizens of America can take back their country. Too many leeches have latched on and refuse to govern for the good of the nation. All about keeping their power and flow of dirty money.


16 posted on 05/19/2026 1:43:39 PM PDT by BOBWADE (God Bless America)
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To: MinorityRepublican

Republican South Dakota’ns wouldn’t dare not re-elect Thune.

So Thune has no downsides to prefer liberal republicans over more conservative republicans.

This story exemplifies that we need better voters.

Thune is a massive recipient of voter apathy. Just vote for the guy whoever showed up oh its Thune yea whatever bro he’s better than the other guy can I watch TV now?


17 posted on 05/19/2026 1:58:42 PM PDT by ProgressingAmerica (The U.S. Constitution is not a suicide pact. Progressivism is a suicide pact.)
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To: ProgressingAmerica

The Credit Cards companies love Thune.


18 posted on 05/19/2026 2:00:32 PM PDT by dfwgator ("I am Charlie Kirk!")
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To: Albion Wilde

I’m not sure that “recess appointment” rant really matters. A recess appointment only lasts until the end of the current Senate term in an January 2027. I can’t imagine why any appointee of substance to a cabinet or judicial post would ever want a job like that.


19 posted on 05/19/2026 2:00:42 PM PDT by Alberta's Child (If I leave here, it’s because I’m tired of arguing with geriatric parrots wearing MAGA hats.)
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To: ProgressingAmerica

What’s the attraction? Does he bring in the pork?


20 posted on 05/19/2026 2:01:46 PM PDT by Reily
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