John Cornyn tears into GOP’s ‘unforced political errors’ in post-midterm criticism

Outgoing Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) sharply criticized his own party Wednesday, blaming Republican candidates’ divisive rhetoric and political infighting for a string of bruising midterm election losses that handed Democrats control of both chambers of Congress on Tuesday.In a Wall Street Journal opinion piece, Cornyn lamented the party’s shrinking appeal, arguing Republicans had squandered an opportunity to build on President Donald Trump’s 2024 coalition by spending time embracing candidates more interested in attacking fellow Republicans than expanding the party’s base.“I am sorry that because of unforced political errors, my party, this administration and our country will miss an opportunity to make progress that was within reach,” Cornyn wrote. The criticism comes after Cornyn lost the Republican Senate primary earlier this year to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, a scandal-plagued Trump ally who secured the president’s last-minute endorsement. Paxton lost Tuesday’s general election to Sen.-elect James Talarico (D-TX), who won 55.1% of the vote to Paxton’s 43%.Talarico’s victory marks the first time a Democrat has won a Senate seat in Texas in nearly four decades, ending the Republican stronghold in the state.Cornyn argued Republicans had moved away from the broader coalition that helped Trump win in 2024, when the party made gains among Hispanic and black voters and attracted both longtime conservatives and first-time Republican voters.“Today, it is fringe challengers who play down voting records and policy in favor of performative politics,” he wrote, contrasting them with earlier conservative challengers who took on establishment Republicans over substantive policy disagreements.He specifically pointed to Paxton and Georgia Republican Senate nominee Mike Collins as examples of candidates who narrowed the party’s appeal by focusing on political grievances and attacks against Republicans they considered insufficiently conservative. In Texas, Cornyn also criticized statewide candidate Bo French, accusing him of alienating voters with bigoted comments about Indian Americans.“When nominees show contempt for voters and request a smaller Republican Party, voters oblige them,” Cornyn wrote.Cornyn compared the trio to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who he said has challenged establishment candidates over “real policy differences” rather than “performative politics.” Rubio is among those floated as 2028 presidential candidates but has said he does not intend to run.The outgoing senator also criticized Trump’s second administration and Joe Biden’s presidency, arguing both administrations squandered political mandates by pursuing policies that alienated voters.Cornyn said Biden’s advisers pushed the president toward open borders, inflationary spending, and what he described as “unrestrained wokeism” after his 2020 victory. He argued Republicans made similar mistakes after Trump’s 2024 win by failing to maintain the broader coalition that returned him to the White House.“Party leaders have to stop excusing the inexcusable and police our side of the aisle — or voters will continue to police it for us,” he wrote.2026 MIDTERM ELECTIONS LIVE UPDATES: LATEST NEWS, RESULTS AND ANALYSISDespite his departure from the Senate, Cornyn appeared to leave the door open to a continued role in Republican politics.“Anyone who is willing to turn the page, restore integrity and rebuild our party can count me in,” he wrote.