According to CNN chief congressional correspondent Manu Raju, Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) said he has more “freedom” now in the Senate after losing the GOP primary to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.

“Asked John Cornyn if he feels like he has more freedom now, and he said with a smile: ‘Are you kidding? Of course. Absolutely. My liberation day: May 26,'” Raju said.

“(That was the day he lost the runoff to Paxton),” he added.

Paxton defeated Cornyn in a 28-point landslide on May 26 in the primary runoff to secure the GOP nomination for Senate.

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Attorney General Ken Paxton won the Republican primary runoff for U.S. Senate Tuesday, ending over three decades of Sen. John Cornyn’s electoral dominance in what amounts to a watershed moment for GOP politics in Texas.

The Associated Press called the race for Paxton shortly after 8 p.m., about an hour after most polls closed in Texas.

Paxton’s win, coming on the heels of an eleventh-hour endorsement from President Donald Trump, will reverberate nationally. The result is a triumph for Paxton and his wing of the GOP, which prioritizes politicians’ zeal for destroying the left over traditional values like statesmanship and dealmaking. And it’s a massive blow to the Republican old guard in Texas and the political establishment in Washington, who were firmly behind Cornyn amid concerns about Paxton’s electability in November.

The outcome sets up a general election matchup between Paxton and Austin state Rep. James Talarico. Democrats have made no secret of their preference for Paxton, who they believe can be beaten due to the baggage he carries from a line of political and personal scandals. Paxton has run and won three times statewide, but Talarico will be by far his best-funded and most prominent opponent, and the first he will face running atop the ticket.

The attorney general received Trump’s backing a week before election day, providing him with a significant boost after both candidates spent a year lobbying for it. Paxton’s victory further demonstrates Trump’s iron grip on his party and the consequences Republicans can face for even mild criticism of a president who demands loyalty. And it sends a chilling message to the Republican establishment, which has now lost one of its most powerful senators and best fundraisers.

In a cycle that has already seen notable incumbents in both parties go down nationally, Cornyn’s loss is a political earthquake.

Some X users interpreted Cornyn’s comments as an admission that he lied to voters.

Cornyn’s remarks to Raju are in sharp contrast to what he said on the campaign trail before last month’s primary runoff.

“I have worked closely with President Trump through both of his Presidential terms and voted with him more than 99% of the time. He has consistently called me a friend in this race,” Cornyn said.

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“It is now time for Texas Republican voters to decide if they want a strong nominee to help our GOP candidates down ballot and defeat Talarico in November, or a weak nominee who jeopardizes everything we care about. I trust the Republican voters of Texas,” he added.

Meanwhile, Cornyn has backed off his push to dedicate a Texas highway to Trump after losing to Paxton in the GOP primary.

The Hill shared further:

Cornyn introduced legislation in May to rename U.S. Highway 287 as Interstate 47 in honor of the 47th president, as he was trying to court Trump’s endorsement in a hotly contested race against Attorney General Ken Paxton (R).

Paxton ultimately won Trump’s support in the closing days of the race and went on to crush Cornyn, an outcome that cemented the president’s influence over Republican voters. Paxton is set to face Texas state Rep. James Talarico (D) in November.

Now, the four-term senator says the highway bill “may not make it into my priorities” in the final seven months of his term. Instead, a Texas state representative is angling to push the idea forward.

“During the U.S. Senate primary, we heard a lot of talk from the losing candidate about honoring President Trump with a named highway,” Rep. Jared Patterson (R) wrote on social platform X. “Apparently, the promise only held true when it was politically convenient, and it is no longer a priority based on today’s news.”

Patterson said that he plans to file a resolution next legislative session to rename the Dallas North Tollway — a roughly 30-mile stretch from Dallas through Collin and Denton counties — the “Donald J. Trump Tollway.”

“Naming this iconic roadway after President Trump would be a lasting tribute to a President whose leadership helped fuel unprecedented growth and prosperity across our region. I look forward to leading this effort — and my commitment is unwavering,” he wrote.

 

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