Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) offered a terse response when asked if his decision not to seek reelection had made him more independent of former President Donald Trump. Responding to CNN reporter Manu Raju, Cornyn asked, "Have you noticed?"
The exchange occurred on the same day that Cornyn, along with Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), withheld support for Todd Blanche's nomination to be Trump's attorney general. Both senators reportedly sought written assurances from the administration that a $1.8 billion "anti-weaponization fund" would be eliminated. The Senate Judiciary Committee subsequently postponed a vote on Blanche's nomination.
Trump, speaking to reporters, suggested that Cornyn was "upset" with him. This sentiment, according to Trump, stemmed from Cornyn's perceived lack of support during a May runoff election for his Senate seat, which he ultimately lost to Ken Paxton, a candidate endorsed by Trump. At the time, Trump had praised Paxton's loyalty while noting Cornyn's less supportive stance during "tough times."
Cornyn, who is serving his final term in the Senate, had previously used his voting power to advocate for border security funding for Texas and to pressure the White House into releasing over $270 million for a global HIV/AIDS prevention initiative.