Now-outgoing Senator John Cornyn is already starting to make some conservatives suspicious that he might be planning to use his last few months in office to oppose President Trump. He’s already signaling that he has doubts about Trump’s pick for the Director of National Intelligence.
Trump tapped Bill Pulte to serve as the acting Director of National Intelligence (DNI) following the departure of Tulsi Gabbard, who resigned in order to be with her husband as he battles a rare form of bone cancer.
According to reporting from Roll Call, Cornyn has some doubts about the pick and said: “I see no evidence of any qualifications [in Pulte] for that job. But I’m willing to listen.”
Given his seniority in the Senate and his position inside the leadership of the Senate GOP, Cornyn working against Trump would be a major blow to the President’s agenda.
Political strategist Vlad Davidiuk spoke about this issue, saying: “He has said publicly that he is going to be a team player, because he is one of the leaders in the Senate, but how complicated is he gonna make the legislative agenda that President Trump and the Republicans have?”
Davidiuk went on to point out that this wouldn’t be the first time Cornyn has been a thorn in the President’s side. “Even though his ads say he’s voted with President Trump 99% of the time, that 1% where he was out of step with President Trump has really cost him,” he said.
However, because Cornyn does play a key role inside the Senate GOP caucus, which already has a very slim majority, Davidiuk says the President will have to try and find ways to pacify Senator Cornyn until January when he leaves office.
