Concerns Over Cornyn Campaign Staff’s Past Comments

Senior members of Sen. John Cornyn’s re-election campaign in Texas face scrutiny for their previous ties to leftist sentiments. Notably, communications director Matt Makowiak has expressed strong opposition to Breitbart News and has made critical comments about President Donald Trump.

In a tweet from 2016, Makowiak urged advertisers to pull their support from Breitbart News, suggesting it should be excluded from the conservative movement. He described the situation as an “information war” and encouraged pressure on advertisers to ignore Breitbart, indicating a clear estrangement from that media outlet, as highlighted by a report from National Pulse.

During the same period, a group known as Sleeping Giants was actively campaigning to have advertisers boycott Breitbart. By 2017, numerous companies had capitulated to these leftist pressure tactics.

Makowiak’s history includes disparaging remarks about Trump. For instance, after George Floyd’s death, he reportedly aligned with Black Lives Matter activists in their critiques of Breitbart News. In 2018, he noted that endorsing anything related to Breitbart was, essentially, a reason to end relationships with organizations.

In 2019, his disdain for Breitbart became even clearer when he stated, “I hate Breitbart,” while previously remarking that it deserved “contempt.” By March 2020, he insisted he had not taken Breitbart seriously for a decade.

Additionally, Makowiak has also been vocal about Breitbart’s staff, calling for the dismissal of their Washington bureau chief in 2016, labeling him a “complete disgrace.”

As Cornyn gears up for a runoff against Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton on May 26, these past sentiments regarding Breitbart and Trump are resurfacing. The victor in this primary will face Democratic candidate James Talarico, who is known for more liberal views, particularly regarding abortion.

Paxton has criticized Cornyn for not supporting certain legislative changes, particularly relating to the SAVE America Act, while arguing Cornyn gives only superficial support to Trump despite having previously aligned with some of the former president’s opponents.

Interestingly, both candidates seek to align themselves more closely with Trump’s base. Cornyn is making efforts to gain Trump’s endorsement, but Paxton’s personal controversies might hinder his campaign, despite his notable political skills.

Trump himself has indicated he will remain neutral until there’s clarity and support for his legislative agenda, which currently faces challenges in the Senate, where a filibuster requires 60 votes to overcome.

If the Senate lifts the filibuster for key legislation, it could sway the Texas Republican primary runoff, putting pressure on Trump to take sides.

Amid these developments, Cornyn’s connections to politicians with left-leaning stances, such as Rep. Jasmine Crockett and others involved in controversial groups, have surfaced.

Paxton pointed out that Cornyn has been promoting a narrative of supporting Trump, but his actions seem to contradict this, as he has backed individuals and groups aimed at undermining Trump’s presidency. Paxton asserted that if Texans were aware of the extent of Cornyn’s past conduct against Trump, they wouldn’t support his candidacy.

Breitbart News attempted to reach out to Makowiak for clarification on his previous remarks and whether Cornyn was aware of these comments during his hiring process. However, there has been no response as of this writing.