U.S. Sen. John Cornyn endorsed Donald Trump to be the GOP nominee for president Tuesday evening, following Trump’s primary win in New Hampshire. Cornyn said he had seen enough after Trump’s second primary season victory to back him.
“To beat Biden, Republicans need to unite around a single candidate, and it’s clear that President Trump is Republican voters’ choice,” Cornyn said in a statement posted to social media. “Four more years of failed domestic policies like the Biden Border Crisis and record-high inflation, and failed foreign policies that have emboldened our adversaries and made the world a more dangerous place, must be stopped.”
Cornyn has previously said he would prefer that the GOP took a new direction, which has angered Trump, but two decisive 2024 victories was enough to earn the Texas Republican’s support. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis dropped out of the race on Sunday, leaving Nikki Haley, the former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, as Trump’s last viable GOP opponent.
In his statement, Cornyn expressed hope for electing a GOP majority in the Senate in 2024 along with Trump to the White House.
“I am proud of our accomplishments in President Trump’s first term, including the confirmation of 234 federal judges, including three members of the United States Supreme Court; passing historic tax reform, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act; unleashing our energy potential; and ushering in the best economy for all Americans in my lifetime.”
Trump endorsed Cornyn in 2019 when the senator was running for reelection.
After Trump trounced his Republican rivals in last week’s Iowa caucuses by 30 points, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, endorsed the former president, who had pressured the Texas senator to back him.
As Trump announced his intention to run again in 2024, both of Texas’ senators signaled an openness to other presidential candidates. More recently, Cornyn gave a more sobering prediction about Trump’s chances in the presidential election.
“I think President Trump’s time has passed him by," Cornyn said last May, the Houston Chronicle reported. “I don’t think President Trump understands that when you run in a general election, you have to appeal to voters beyond your base.”
