Overview
- Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton defeated Sen. John Cornyn in Tuesday’s Republican primary, handing Trump another high-profile victory and ending Cornyn’s 24 years in the Senate.
- Sen. Bill Cassidy lost his bid for renomination earlier this month after becoming a Trump target for his 2021 impeachment vote, a loss that signaled the reach of the president’s loyalty test.
- A roughly $1.8 billion DOJ “anti‑weaponization” settlement fund announced in mid‑May has provoked bipartisan concern and forced Senate leaders to postpone a planned immigration funding vote while lawmakers debate legal limits on the money.
- Multiple Senate Republicans crossed with Democrats to advance a resolution limiting the president’s war powers on Iran, and leaders warn that a small number of defections could block parts of the White House agenda in the narrowly divided chamber.
- Senate Majority Leader John Thune faces pressure to hold the conference together as outlets note contrasting views—some see Trump as a decisive kingmaker, others warn his interventions risk costly general election fights and damage GOP governing cohesion.