GOP Texas Sen. John Cornyn Distances Himself From Trump, Says He Won’t Disagree With Him Publicly

Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) shared on Friday that while he has disagreed with President Donald Trump on a number of policy issues, but he said that has taken up the strategy of addressing them privately with the president rather than going on a public with them. Some of the issues that Cornyn cited were budget deficits, tariffs, trade agreements and border security.

He shared his strategy with the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, which asked if he or other Republicans wished they had pushed the president harder for better COVID-19 management.

“I think what we found is that we’re not going to change President Trump. He is who he is. You either love him or hate him, and there’s not much in between. What I tried to do is not get into public confrontations and fights with him because, as I’ve observed, those usually don’t end too well.”

Cornyn said, for example, he shared concerns over the economy and debt during the COVID-19 pandemic with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin. “When I have had differences in opinion, which I have, I do that privately… I have found that has allowed me to be much more effective, I believe, than to satisfy those who say I ought to call him out or get into a public fight with him.”

Cornyn also shared that former Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tennessee), a friend of his, did not run for reelection after he and Trump publicly argued over issues regarding the Mexican border wall.