Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) has long positioned himself as a stalwart conservative. However, a closer look at some of his key donors and recent slate of endorsements reveals a troubling pattern: several prominent supporters have a history of disparaging and undermining President Donald Trump, the Republican Party’s most influential figure in recent years.
These donors, former Representatives Tom DeLay, Bill Flores, Pete Olson, Mac Thornberry, and Lamar Smith, have not only backed Cornyn but have also engaged in anti-Trump activities. This raises questions about Cornyn’s alignment with the MAGA base and the broader Republican agenda.
Below is an analysis of each donor’s record and their implications for Cornyn’s political alliances.
Tom DeLay: The Former House Leader Who Called Trump “Dangerous”
Tom DeLay, a former House Majority Leader and Majority Whip from Sugar Land, Texas, is a notable Cornyn supporter who said Trump is “very dangerous for the country” and that he would “tear the Republican Party apart.” He went further, accusing Trump of wanting to be “king” rather than president and dismissed him as lacking the faith and principles required for leadership, bluntly stating, “Trump ain’t it.”
These remarks, which mirror the attacks often used by Democrats, reveal a deep disdain for Trump, which raises flags now that he has endorsed Cornyn in his upcoming Senate GOP primary.
Bill Flores:
Former Representative Bill Flores (R-Bryan), another Cornyn ally and former chair of the Republican Study Committee, expressed reservations about Trump during the 2016 campaign. Flores publicly stated he was not ready to endorse Trump and accused Trump of spewing too much “trash talk.”
Flores recently endorsed John Cornyn.
Pete Olson:
Choosing “The Squad” Over Trump, Pete Olson attacked President Trump in 2019 over a tweet. When Trump told members of “The Squad” consisting of Representatives Rashida Tlaib, Ilhan Omar, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and Ayanna Pressley to “go back and help fix the totally broken and crime-infested places from which they came,” Olson publicly condemned Trump on Twitter. Rather than standing by the president, Olson sided with the progressive Democrats, who have pushed far-left policies and anti-American rhetoric.
Even more telling, on January 6, 2021, Olson took to Twitter in a frantic all-caps post, demanding that Trump use his “bully pulpit” to tell “those lawbreakers storming the Capitol to get the hell out and go home!!!” By tagging Trump directly and framing him as responsible for the protest, Olson fueled the narrative pushed by Democrats and the media that led to witch hunts against President Trump and his supporters. His support for Cornyn is evidence that Trump critics find Cornyn appealing at the expense of MAGA.
Mac Thornberry:
Undermining Trump and the Military, Former Representative Mac Thornberry (R-Clarendon) a key Cornyn ally and former ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee, also took actions that undermined Trump at critical moments. In response to Trump’s remarks at a defense news event, Thornberry told CNN that the president’s comments gave “our adversaries an opening,” effectively challenging the commander-in-chief and fostering internal discord within the military.
His comments came at a time when global tensions were high, with China’s actions under scrutiny. By publicly opposing Trump, Thornberry weakened the perception of a unified U.S. front. Additionally, Thornberry was among the first Republicans to congratulate Joe Biden in 2020 after the stolen election, breaking ranks those challenging the results of the fraud.
Lamar Smith
Perhaps the most egregious case is former Representative Lamar Smith (R-San Antonio), a Cornyn donor whose contributions reveal a shocking willingness to support anti-Trump figures across the political spectrum. Smith’s donation history includes a March 2025 donation to anti Trump Democrat Senator Mark Warner, a March 2024 donation to Nikki Haley’s presidential campaign during the Republican primary. He also made a December 2023 donation to the McConnell Senate Committee, supporting Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. In June of 2023, he donated to Ron DeSantis’s presidential campaign, another figure who challenged Trump in the GOP primary, and in February 2023, he donated to Democrat Congressman Jamie Raskin’s campaign. Raskin, a lead impeachment manager during Trump’s second impeachment trial and a key member of the January 6th Committee, has been one of Trump’s most vocal critics. Smith’s donations to both Democrats and anti-Trump Republicans reveals a pattern of disloyalty to MAGA. His support for Cornyn raises serious questions about the Senator’s alliances and his judgment in accepting funds from someone so openly aligned with Trump’s enemies.
This recent slate of endorsements for Senator John Cornyn proves that the Republican establishment remains deeply tied to Cornyn, and they are still uncomfortable with Donald Trump’s influence. By accepting support from these figures, John Cornyn aligns himself with a faction of the party that has openly attacked President Trump and the MAGA base.
Cornyn’s association with donors who have disparaged Trump, sided with progressive Democrats, or undermined Republican unity suggests a disconnect with the millions of voters who see Trump as the party’s leader.
For conservatives who value loyalty to the America First agenda, Cornyn’s donor list is a red flag. The senator’s willingness to accept support from individuals who have attacked Trump, backed Democrats, or sown division within the GOP calls into question his commitment to the party’s current trajectory. As the Republican Party continues to grapple with its identity in the post-Trump era, Cornyn’s alliances with these anti-Trump donors is further evidence its time for him to retire or be replaced by a GOP primary opponent.
