Sen. Cornyn says Trump in for 'bumpy ride' after Texas candidate's loss to Trump-backed challenger

Republican Texas Senator John Cornyn said that his loss to Trump-endorsed Attorney General Ken Paxton grants him political freedom he wouldn't have had if his campaign had been successful. Now, he can choose when he does and does not defer to President Donald Trump. 

“I think it is going to be a pretty bumpy ride for the next seven months,” Cornyn told the New York Times. 

Cornyn referred to Trump's tense meeting in the Oval Office in which Trump told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that he didn't have any cards. 

"Well, we've got some cards to play," Cornyn said in the interview. 

Cornyn said he wasn't seeking retribution, but he is among other Senate Republicans who believe that Trump is hurting the party by making self-serving decisions and demanding unwavering loyalty. This is setting Republicans up for serious losses in the midterms, Cornyn said, which would make the two years following the election the worst in Trump's life.