John Cornyn: Ted Cruz Only Came To The Senate ‘To Run For President’

Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX), who has long had a contentious relationship with his Texas colleague Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), again declined to endorse Cruz’s presidential bid on Monday, and instead dissed his colleague for coming to the Capitol simply to launch a presidential bid.

“Clearly, he didn’t come here to remain in the Senate. He came here to run for president. And I think that perhaps explains the difference in tactics,” Cornyn told Texas radio station KERA News while discussing how he differs from Cruz.

Cornyn has so far declined to endorse a presidential candidate in the Republican primary, and he made it clear on Monday that he will not be endorsing Cruz or any of his opponents.

“I don’t really think it’s appropriate for me to be picking and choosing in the primaries,” he told KERA News. “One thing, it’s pretty dumb politics for a Republican to choose between Republicans in a contested primary because obviously you’re going to be offending some people.”

But he did not hide his lack of a relationship with Cruz, who has fought against Cornyn and the rest of Senate GOP leadership since he arrived in the Senate.

Cornyn told KERA News that he agrees with Cruz on the issues, but that the two Texas senators diverge when it comes to tactics.

“We’ve had our differences on tactics or how to accomplish those goals, part of it from the fact that I’ve been here a while, and I’m now part of the elected Republican leadership. My goal has always been to figure out how we can advance the conservative cause, even incrementally at times, when I think he’s taken the more immediate shorter-term view of things.”