Retiring GOP Senator Trashes Republican Party’s ‘Lazy and Unstrategic’ Handling of Bitter Senate Runoff

Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) sharply criticized the divisive Texas Senate runoff, lamenting President Donald Trump’s delay in issuing an endorsement and calling his fellow Republicans “lazy and unstrategic.”

Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) is in the fight of his political life in the May 23 runoff election against Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, and it’s already gotten viciously, personally brutal. The incumbent is widely viewed as a stronger candidate in the general election due to Paxton’s series of scandals, lawsuits, and controversies, but the attorney general has gotten support from the MAGA wing of the GOP for his combative, far-right stances.

Trump declined to endorse for the primary but posted on Truth Social the next day that he would endorse “soon,” urging whoever didn’t get his endorsement to drop out.

Multiple media outlets reported the president was expected to endorse Cornyn, but Paxton tweeted a Hail Mary that seems to have been effective in at least delaying an endorsement for his rival, pledging he would drop out if Senate leadership lifts the filibuster to pass the SAVE Act, a bill Trump vehemently supports. Cornyn had already expressed his support for the SAVE Act but soon publicly declared his willingness to ditch the filibuster to get it passed, a position he had not taken before.

On the Democratic side, State Rep. James Talarico (D) surpassed Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX) by a comfortable margin; she conceded the race the next morning and tweeted a call for her supporters to “remain united” and “rally around our nominees.”

Even before the runoff, this year’s Texas Senate battle was the most expensive Senate primary on record, burning through over $128 million, with a whopping $98.9 million spent just by the Republican campaigns and PACs.

Tillis has been increasingly outspoken during Trump’s second term, especially after announcing he would not run for re-election to the Senate seat he has held since 2014.

In a clip aired on Sunday’s episode of Inside Politics Sunday, CNN anchor and chief congressional correspondent Manu Raju caught up with Tillis to get his thoughts on the internecine feuding over Texas’ Senate seat.

The SAVE Act “has no chance of getting 60 votes to overcome a Democratic filibuster and despite Trump’s demands to gut the filibuster, Senate Majority leader John Thune and other top Republicans have rejected those calls,” said Raju, which was infuriating Trump and he was now “holding up a critical endorsement in the Texas senate GOP runoff as a result.”

“Some Republicans including Thom Tillis, are sounding off,” said Raju before playing the clip of him speaking with Tillis in the Senate office hallways.

“People on my side of the aisle, and people at the far right of the political spectrum, are trying to swing for the fences, and they’re not going to succeed,” said Tillis.

“Trump seems to be holding up the Cornyn endorsement over this issue,” said Raju. “Is that a mistake?”

“No — Yeah, I think it is,” said Tillis. “I think the more time we spend millions of dollars with Republican-on-Republican violence, Democrats are in the marketing department loving the idea of a competitive runoff between Cornyn and Paxton.”

“I get tired of Republicans being lazy and unstrategic,” he added.

Watch the clip above via CNN.

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