Butt-hurt John Cornyn is apparently not intending to go gentle into that good night, posts the scorpion & frog fable

[Miles Archer]

Trump extended a last-minute endorsement to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton that tipped this week's runoff election away from Cornyn, who had courted the president's favor during the campaign and even proposed naming a U.S. highway after him.

He seemingly made reference to the betrayal Friday morning in a social media post.

"An old, but apt fable: A scorpion wants to cross a river but cannot swim, so it asks a frog to carry it across," Cornyn posted on X. "The frog hesitates, afraid that the scorpion might sting it, but the scorpion promises not to, pointing out that it would drown if it killed the frog in the middle of the river. The frog considers this argument sensible and agrees to transport the scorpion. Midway across the river, the scorpion stings the frog anyway, dooming them both.

"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,'" Cornyn's post added, citing Wikipedia.

"The reason they wrote these fables is so you’d learn them as a child, not when you’re 74," reminded The Bulwark's Will Saletan.

https://www.rawstory.com/john-cornyn-trump-2676972358/

[yardwork]

1. What's he going to do about it?

[sboatcar]

3. Honestly, if I were him, I'd go full scorched earth

I feel like that's probably what's going to happen with a lot of people who lost primaries because of Trump

[Miles Archer]

7. "When you got nothin', you got nothin' to lose" - Bob Dylan

He's 74 years old. Even if he sits on the sidelines until Trump conks out, he's gonna be too old to make any kind of meaningful re-entry into politics. So yeah. He can do some damage, and he should.

[dflprincess]

11. If it's too late to file and run as an independent

He should start a write in campaign. Though I suppose he's not angry enough to split the Republican vote and give the skein to Talarico.

[Trueblue Texan]

17. Angry enough?

How about courageous enough!?

[Totally Tunsie]

38. Thomas Massie has already begun. Chump backed Ed Gallrein in the KY primary

and he ultimately defeated the incumbent Massie.

Massie has been now been hinting that there are many more names of interest in the Epstein files and that he will
name more names in Congress from the Files. He's also contending that Ms. Melanoma knows a lot more than she's acknowledging, and Massie claims he knows her involvement. Stay tuned, Folks!

[Miles Archer]

4. " You gonna do somethin, or just stand there and bleed?"

?si=BcAlEOxeczpwsa1w

[peppertree]

12. To paraphrase the old cereal ad: Nuttin', honey

He'll just go on the lobbying circuit - earning millions for just making a few phone calls a year.

[Pinback]

14. Bingo.

If this guy had one ounce of character, it would have manifested itself years ago.

[Harker]

18. Drown.

[Rstrstx]

42. He could endorse Talarico

Am not holding my breath

[johnnyfins]

2. Yeah. Post all the fables you want CornHead.

Paxton & Trump just ate your lunch. Sucker!

And you will support them. Sucker!

[Katinfl]

30. He turned right around and immediately endorsed Paxton. Can you get anymore hypocritical?

[usonian]

5. I recall reading that Cornyn endorsed Paxton anyway.

Correct me if I got this wrong in the flood of news.

They're all just competing for the warmest spot up Trump's ass.

[ananda]

29. Yes he did. Republicans are just plain stupid and crazy.

...

[YodaMom2]

6. It's an oft-repeated fable by tRump himself.

And every time he repeats it, he’s telling us who HE is. Amazing that Cornyn only now seems to have clued in to that. But that seems to be typical Republican - they only care when it affects them.

[dalton99a]

9. +1. He recited it many times

https://www.whitehouse.gov/videos/the-snake-poem/

[Trueblue Texan]

16. They posted this on the White House website? Sick motherf*ckers.

That is all.

[kentuck]

8. After Cornyn, most Republicans are walking on egg shells...

...fearful that they may be next?

[miyazaki]

10. All the fables in the world couldn't save these dumb cornholes.

They could of collectively gotten rid of the mad king long ago and saved their own asses.

[0rganism]

13. In fairness to Sen. Cornyn, I too did not hear this fable in a timely manner

Given our circumstances, this and related fables need a bump up the priority ladder

[Trueblue Texan]

15. It's like TSF's Snake poem.

Hilarious that Cornyn is just now getting it.

[Katinfl]

32. I kind of remember trump telling a version of this at one of his rallies. But he used a snake.

Same message though. That’s who he/they are. No changing them and some people will never learn this lesson.

[malaise]

19. Stupid ReTHUG Cornyn

should have watched this

[jmowreader]

20. A different reading on that fable

A scorpion wants to cross a river but cannot swim, so it asks a frog to carry it across. The frog hesitates, afraid that the scorpion might sting it, but the scorpion promises not to, pointing out that it would drown if it killed the frog in the middle of the river. The frog considers this argument sensible and agrees to transport the scorpion. The frog gets into deep water and immediately dives to the bottom, dooming the scorpion.

When the frog resurfaces a few feet from the scorpion, the doomed scorpion screams out, "why did you do that? I can't swim! Now I will surely die!"

"Do you think I don't know what you are?"

[LuvLoogie]

21. He never thought...

?si=7SAn9EgXQbLrOXKY

[surfered]

22. I can't believe he didn't know Trump's character before this.

[CaptainTruth]

23. 74? Isn't Trump 79?

🤔

[malaise]

24. 80 in 16 days

That is all

[Ol Janx Spirit]

25. The reference was to Cornyn's age: 74.

[CaptainTruth]

31. Ah, I didn't take it that way, thanks!

[dave99]

26. It all about $$ and Power Cornyn loses access to. Poor slob. All these coward Republicans

[Lovie777]

27. That is shithole...................

[ShazzieB]

28. Was Trump's endorsement the reason Paxton won the GOP nom?

Last edited Fri May 29, 2026, 06:03 PM - Edit history (1)

Or do TX voters just hate Cornyn?

Just curious. I haven't been following the TX republican primary at all.

All I know sure is that I want Talarico to win that seat more than ever now. Cornyn is awful, but Paxton is a monster.

[nature-lover]

33. Cornyn beat Paxton 42% to 40.5% in the March primary. Paxton won the runoff 63.5% to Cornyn's 36.5%

https://ballotpedia.org/United_States_Senate_election_in_Texas,_2026

Talarico is a class act. Sure can't say that about the other guy!

[ShazzieB]

34. Thanks for these details.

It's interesting that the split between Cornyn and Paxton was so much wider in the runoff. It went from a point and a half difference to Paxton getting almost twice as many votes as Cornyn. No wonder Cornyn's upset.

I need to read up on this runoff election stuff. I am not as familiar with it as I need to be.

[nature-lover]

37. I'm in TX and have been following closely. Been disgusted by these R's for a long time.

We'll see if Cornyn makes waves. I don't know if he has it in him to buck this administration.

[Emile]

35. He ain't gonna do shit, he's afraid of Trump.

[Miles Archer]

36. Hence the passive-aggressive posting of the fable, versus "UP YOURS, TRUMP."

It's like Melania wearing her "I don't care, do U" jacket on the way to see kids in cages.

Cornyn's hurt, pissed, disappointed, etc etc etc, and instead of just being direct, he's passive-aggressive and posts a fable.

We'll see if he keeps backing Trump to the bitter end.

[Skittles]

39. .....

[GoodRaisin]

40. Cornyn sat through the crime spree and said nothing. He is garbage.

Fitting end to his career to lose to a pig like Paxton.

[OldBaldy1701E]

41. So, what was your excuse, Senator?

"The reason they wrote these fables is so you’d learn them as a child, not when you’re 74," reminded The Bulwark's Will Saletan.

Yeah, like you guys have never done any of that.

[GoCubsGo]

43. Yes, this sounds like it's intended as a message to those who voted for Paxton.

But, whether he realizes it or not, it's a "Look in the mirror, dummy!" moment.

[3catwoman3]

44. "It's my character."

More like lack of character.