Troublemaker? CNN's Audie Cornish Asks: 'Is John Cornyn a RINO?'

On Tuesday’s CNN This Morning, host Audie Cornish asked — seemingly out of nowhere — during the Group Chat on the Texas GOP Senate primary runoff: “Is John Cornyn a RINO?”

Cornish did not mention or dispute Cornyn’s widely cited 99%+ voting alignment with President Trump on roll-call votes where Trump took a clear position.

Republican strategist Brad Todd pushed back immediately, saying: “No. And if John Cornyn wins tonight, this Texas Senate race is functionally over. He will be the next US Senator from Texas if he wins tonight.”

Cornish suggested maybe Cornyn sounded too squishy on guns: "Cornyn for a while was, post-Uvalde, talking about gun laws. I mean, there's little — there's Texas politics here too that we're not noticing." CNN and the rest of the media constantly prod Republicans to support gun control, so it sounds like "did we ruin Cornyn yet?"

Later in the segment, Democratic strategist Chuck Rocha said Trump, late in the campaign, endorsed Ken Paxton because polls showed Paxton winning the runoff and Trump wanted to take credit. Cornish then offered her own explanation: that Trump endorsed Paxton because Democrat James Talarico is “closer than he should be” in the general election.

With respect, that makes zero sense. If Trump were worried about the general election, he would have endorsed Cornyn. As Brad Todd said, Cornyn as candidate would make the race “functionally over.” That's a view that is more than "conventional" wisdom--it's just plain wisdom, given Paxton's history. 

Rocha rejected Cornish's illogical notion, saying he believed Trump endorsed Paxton because he wanted to take credit for his win. But Cornish wouldn't give up on her bizarre theory, challenging Rocha: "You really think it's that?"

Cornish’s unprompted "RINO" question and contradictory logic appear to be an attempt to stir the pot, amplify GOP divisions, and subtly boost the outcome that gives Democrats the best shot in November. I'm reminded of a pesky extended family member from back in the day. My mother would say of her: It's always good to have Aunt Fanny around. If there's no trouble, she can always start some!

Here's the transcript.

CNN This Morning
5/26/26
6:12 am EDT

AUDIE CORNISH: So the first polls open up just minutes from now for a primary day in Texas. Senator John Cornyn and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton have made their final pitches to voters. Cornyn is in the fight of his political life. He's trying to hang on to the seat he's held since 2002, and the race has already cost more than a hundred million dollars. Last week, President Trump turned the whole thing on its head by endorsing Paxton. But is he the guy who can beat the Democrat come November?

EDWARD-ISAAC DOVERE: Okay, I think that this is another and maybe, in some ways, the purest test of just Trump wanting complete fealty from Republicans still, and Republican officials wanting to give that to him. And so far we have seen over and over that Republican primary voters are going with Trump's choices for the most part. 

CORNISH: So in the meantime, that does mean an enormous amount of money spent on something that kinda should be a lock and easy.

Is John Cornyn a RINO?

BRAD TODD: No. And if John Cornyn wins tonight, this Texas Senate race is functionally over. He will be the next US Senator from Texas if he wins tonight. And so the question is how pragmatic Texas Republicans are. Polls show that most Republicans actually like both of these guys. And despite the president weighing in at the last minute with what I think — I think Isaac's right — I think it's a proxy fight with the Senate Republican Conference. It's not really a beef with John Cornyn.

CORNISH: Which Cornyn has said he said, I think he's really mad at the Senate, not at me. But, I don't know, it just seems like a kind of political punch in the nose. And maybe unearned. Again, I'm not Texan. I know somebody who knows a little bit about Texas voters. 

CHUCK ROCHA: Pick me, pick me.

CORNISH: There's other things there. Cornyn for a while was, post-Uvalde, talking about gun laws. I mean, there's little — there's Texas politics here too that we're not noticing.

ROCHA: Look, I'm not one of those Democrats who say all of a sudden Texas is gonna be blue, this is our year, but this is probably gonna be the closest we ever get to having a year because of this.

And the reason why; this is the true reason why Donald Trump is endorsing him. All these things about policy and who he hates and likes, is, he gave these boys a few weeks, he gave 'em a few months, and now somebody has put a poll in front of him saying, "Cornyn can't win. Get in here now so we can put our fingers on the scale; let's take credit for this" -- 

CORNISH: Or, Talarico's closer than he should be, and closer than --

ROCHA: I think it's the first [Trump wanting to get in front of the parade.]

CORNISH: You think it's really that?