In what's being called a "disgusting deplorables moment," a top establishment operative just handed Republicans a master class in how to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory—and it could cost Senator John Cornyn his political career.
Alex Latcham, executive director of the Senate Leadership Fund and key ally of Senate Majority Leader John Thune, launched a stunning broadside against hundreds of thousands of Texas voters who supported Rep. Wesley Hunt (R-TX) in Tuesday night's GOP senatorial primary. The tone-deaf attack has ignited a firestorm that threatens to torpedo what should have been a celebration of Cornyn's primary lead.
"If John Cornyn loses the runoff, all Republicans should thank the classless behavior of @Alex_Latcham_ for why," fumed one GOP observer on social media. "It is his disgusting deplorables moment attacking the voters tonight that has everyone so fired up."
The backlash was swift and brutal. Another Republican strategist noted the irony: "It was good for Cornyn until @Alex_Latcham_ attacked the voters of Texas and began causing a massive backlash against you guys."
Establishment Arrogance on Full Display
This is exactly the kind of swamp behavior that drove millions of Americans to support President Trump in the first place. Here we have a Washington insider—whose paycheck depends on maintaining the establishment's grip on power—lecturing Texas patriots about how they should vote.
While Latcham's Senate Leadership Fund tried damage control with a generic statement praising Cornyn's "strong election performance" and support for "President Trump's agenda," the damage was already done. Texas voters don't forget, and they sure don't forgive being talked down to by D.C. consultants.
This stunning display of establishment hubris perfectly encapsulates everything wrong with the Republican Party's old guard. Instead of respecting the democratic process and the voices of grassroots conservatives, they resort to attacking the very voters they claim to represent.
Now heading into a runoff, Cornyn faces the consequences of his allies' arrogance. Will Texas Republicans reward this kind of contempt for their voices, or will they send a message that the days of establishment condescension are over?