Republican Texas Senator John Cornyn is under fire this week as social media posts from his campaign staff and ads from his 2020 campaign resurface online.
Cornyn aims to connect with Hispanic voters through a private Spanish-language TV ad titled “Tranquilo,” available on his campaign’s YouTube. In the ad, a Spanish-speaking voiceover states that Cornyn “firmly supports the legalization of ‘Dreamers.'” Shortly thereafter, Cornyn himself says in English, “I’m John Cornyn, and I approve this message.”
The video features comments from other Spanish speakers discussing Cornyn’s border policies, including his initiatives against sex trafficking, his backing of police reform, and his commitment to border security.
After the video gained traction on social media late Thursday, Cornyn’s team seemed to make it private. However, anti-Cornyn activists quickly shared other videos featuring the senator. He had previously asserted on the Senate floor that he persuaded former President Barack Obama to encourage Congress to enact Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), which protects undocumented immigrants who arrived in the U.S. as children from deportation.
Cornyn has recently shifted to a more stringent viewpoint on pardons. His 2024 legislation, in collaboration with fellow Republican Texas Senator Ted Cruz, aimed to stop the Biden administration from potentially granting amnesty to 500,000 undocumented immigrants via various visa loopholes, though the Senate never adopted this bill.
Cornyn criticized the Biden administration, stating, “For almost four years, the Biden-Harris administration has abandoned the magic wand of amnesty and created an illegal program that allows anyone, legal or otherwise, to enter and remain in the United States.” He went on to say, “Our legislation will eliminate this significant pull factor while preserving the integrity of the employment-based nonimmigrant visa program, and I appreciate the support of my colleagues.”
It’s worth noting Cornyn isn’t alone in facing scrutiny for missteps in social media and digital campaigning. Conservative voter registration activist Scott Pressler highlighted a tweet by Cornyn’s communications director, Matt Makowiak, who expressed disappointment over the absence of amnesty for illegal immigrants in a legislative deal from 2016. Makowiak had written, “No apology. No compassion. No humanity. No path to legal status. A failure no matter how you look at it.”
After Pressler raised this issue with Makowiak, the communications director deleted the tweet.
Makowiak isn’t the only one in Cornyn’s circle with a complicated history on the issue. Rob Jesmer, a consultant for Cornyn’s campaign, has posted pro-pardon and anti-Trump sentiments on social media. In February 2015, Jesmer highlighted that many Americans favor a “path to citizenship” for undocumented immigrants.
Furthermore, Jesmer appeared to retweet a post from Makowiak as well as another from Stuart Stevens, who was involved in Mitt Romney’s 2012 presidential campaign. Stevens remarked, “We don’t know who convinced Donald Trump that immigration was a top priority for Americans, but it appears that no one running for the Senate agrees.”
Jesmer also retweeted something Cornyn himself had posted back in October 2016, expressing his weariness of Trump’s remarks about women.
As the conversation continues, one commentator questioned how Texas Republicans could support Cornyn if his team appears disconnected from what Americans prioritize regarding immigration.
Looking ahead, Cornyn will compete against Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in the Republican primary runoff set for May 26.
Makowiak commented on the situation, noting that Paxton and his supporters are targeting Cornyn for backing a failed organization. He asserted, however, that Cornyn has always supported border security efforts and has the backing of the National Border Security Council.
