Sen. John Cornyn is stepping back from a proposal to rename U.S. Highway 287 as Interstate 47 after former President Donald Trump endorsed Cornyn’s primary opponent, Ken Paxton, who won the race. Another Texas lawmaker is pushing a separate plan to rename the Dallas North Tollway for Trump. Cornyn has signaled he will be more vocal where he disagrees with Trump and recently joined two Senate Republicans in opposing Trump’s acting DNI nominee.
Cornyn Backs Off Plan To Rename Texas Highway For Trump After President Endorses Ken Paxton
Texas senator drops push to name highway after Trump after president backed his primary foe
Sen. John Cornyn is stepping back from an effort to rename U.S. Highway 287 as Interstate 47 in honor of former President Donald Trump after Trump endorsed Cornyn's primary challenger, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.
What Happened
Cornyn promoted legislation to redesignate U.S. Highway 287 as Interstate 47 — a symbolic nod to Trump as the 47th president — while seeking the president's endorsement. After losing the primary to Paxton, Cornyn said the renaming "may not make it into my priorities the next seven months," according to Mediaite.
Other Renaming Efforts
Even as Cornyn pulls back, another Texas lawmaker is continuing a similar effort. State Representative Jared Patterson has proposed renaming the Dallas North Tollway after Trump, keeping the possibility of a Trump-named roadway in Texas alive.
Senator John Cornyn is backing off a plan to rename a Texas highway in honor of President Donald Trump after the president backed his primary opponent, Ken Paxton (Getty)
Political Overtures and Reactions
During the campaign Cornyn made visible attempts to win Trump’s favor, including sharing a photo of himself reading Trump’s book The Art of the Deal on social media. After his defeat, Cornyn posted the fable of the scorpion and the frog to his X feed, highlighting the sting of political betrayal:
"The dying frog asks the scorpion why it stung despite knowing the consequence, to which the scorpion replies: 'I am sorry, but I couldn't help myself. It's my character.'"
What Comes Next
Cornyn told Hearst Newspapers he plans to be more outspoken on issues where he and Trump disagree. That shift was immediate: on Tuesday, he joined Senators Bill Cassidy and Lisa Murkowski in opposing Trump’s pick for acting director of national intelligence, Bill Pulte. "I have yet to see any evidence that he meets that statutory requirement," Cornyn said of Pulte.
Cornyn's Senate term ends in January. He told Hearst Newspapers he is "looking forward to working in the private sector" after his electoral defeat.
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