President Donald Trump is congratulating Texas Sen. John Cornyn for having a “great career” while also congratulating the man who beat Cornyn in a primary with his endorsement. Cornyn tried for more than a year to show Trump and Texas Republicans he and the president were on the same team. Cornyn posted a photo of himself reading Trump’s book and proposed renaming a stretch of interstate for him. But on Tuesday, Cornyn became the latest Republican to lose a primary after falling out of favor with a president with little tolerance for dissent and an appetite for retribution. Trump says he’ll stay friends with Cornyn as they watch Ken Paxton become a “fantastic” senator.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has defeated four-term Sen. John Cornyn in a massively expensive, drawn-out U.S. Senate primary race. Paxton was endorsed by President Donald Trump last week. His is victory Tuesday showcases the president’s power over his party as he seeks to punish Republicans he sees as insufficiently loyal. Paxton will run against Democratic state Rep. James Talarico in November.

Ken Paxton is playing up President Donald Trump's endorsement as the Texas attorney general heads into the final days of U.S. Senate primary runoff against incumbent John Cornyn. Paxton opened a recent event by talking about the endorsement. He also criticized Democratic nominee James Talarico, who's awaiting the winner of Tuesday's election. The race is the latest campaign where Trump is encouraging voters to oust a politician who's displeased him and elect a challenger more aligned with the president. Cornyn and his allies argue that Paxton's history, including an acquittal in an impeachment trial, will hurt the GOP in the general election.

It was a hurdle too high for Bill Cassidy to clear. The Republican senator from Louisiana had tried to satisfy Donald Trump and his supporters, but they couldn't forgive him after he voted to convict at the president's impeachment trial over the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol. That was more than five years ago and the ill will lingered. Trump backed one of Cassidy's challengers in Saturday's Senate primary, and the incumbent finished third. He didn't even make the June runoff. Cassidy is the latest name on an increasingly long list of Republicans who crossed Trump and were punished by voters.