Something happened in Texas that the political class didn't want to admit was possible. A long-serving senator just got demolished in his own primary. President Donald Trump certainly played a hand in that outcome, and that should tell you everything you need to know about where the Republican Party stands in 2026.
Are you paying attention, Washington?
John Cornyn has been a United States senator from Texas since 2002. That's nearly a quarter century of seniority, relationships, and institutional clout. Yet, it wasn’t enough. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton crushed Cornyn in the GOP runoff by an overwhelming margin, walking away with nearly 64% of the vote.
So what happened? The short version is that Cornyn forgot who he was supposed to be fighting for.
Look, I’m not going to sit here and tell you that Cornyn is a RINO. He isn't. Calling him a RINO is absurd and avoids what’s really happening within the Republican Party today.
I got into politics after 9/11. George W. Bush was president, and I firmly believe he was the right leader our country needed at the time. And when he sought reelection, I was all in for him. I donated a significant amount of money to his campaign. I ran a blog supporting his reelection. But, Bush is also the guy who ran as a “compassionate conservative” and spent much of his presidency trying to work with Democrats who were only interested in sabotaging him.
Compassionate conservatism may sound good in theory. But, in practice, it was capitulation. It was always a better deal for the left. We give an inch, they take a mile. For what gain? So-called “compassionate conservatism” wasn’t compassionate; it was weak. It was settling for a compromise with the Democrats, who never compromise.
But the Republican Party under Trump wants fighters. We’re tired of pretending that playing nice with the Democrats will somehow advance conservatism. And somewhere along the way, Cornyn stopped being a fighter.
ICYMI: Talarico Is Now Trying to Run Away From His Radical Positions
How do we know the GOP is full of non-fighters? Just look at the SAVE America Act. Despite having overwhelming bipartisan support, it’s stalled in the Senate, and that reportedly factored into Trump's decision to back Paxton.
Donald Trump didn't invent the idea that Republicans could fight. He just proved it worked.
And the liberal media is upset.
Check this out: Politico is fretting that Cornyn's exit will thin the ranks of senators willing to work across the aisle on immigration and gun control, feeding more polarization. But here's the thing: when exactly has the Democrat Party been willing to compromise on anything that actually mattered to conservatives? They won't ever meet Republicans halfway. Heck, they’re ready to throw John Fetterman out of the party for only voting with the Democrats 96% of the time. Let’s face it, they move the goalposts and Republicans cave like clockwork. The notion that one side is destroying bipartisanship while the other side is all for negotiation is absurd.
In the end, Trump’s Republican Party is tired of excuses and tired of capitulating to the left. When we can’t even get the SAVE America Act passed in the Senate because of some idealistic fantasy that if we keep the filibuster, Democrats won’t nuke it the second it becomes convenient for them to do so, something has to be done.
Hopefully, establishment Republicans get the message.
