HUNT VALLEY, Md. (TNND) — Senator John Cornyn, the Texas Republican, introduced a bill Monday that would name a highway in honor of President Donald Trump, whose endorsement he is seeking in a competitive primary runoff election.
The act, which has little to no chance of passing, would designate U.S. Route 287 as Interstate 47, after the 47th president. Trump has yet to throw his support behind Cornyn or state Attorney General Ken Paxton, who are competing in a close race that could determine the GOP’s chances of succeeding in the general election.
“Texas is Trump Country, and this bill cements that legacy by designating nearly 1,800 miles of open-road from Texas’ Gulf Coast to the edge of the U.S.-Canadian border as I-47 to forever be remembered as Trump Interstate,” Cornyn said in a statement.
His bill would assist the president’s pursuit of attaching his likeness to things around the country. Last year, his allies renamed the U.S. Institute of Peace and the Kennedy Center, a Washington, D.C. performing arts center and memorial to former President John F. Kennedy, in Trump’s honor.
The administration has also designed currency, passports and other items that feature Trump’s face and signature.
The president has previously leveraged his endorsement power to extract concessions from candidates. Earlier this year, he indicated he would support Cornyn after Paxton announced, in spite of Trump’s wishes, that he would stay in the race if the president endorsed the incumbent. Later that day, Paxton said he would drop out if Congress passes a voter ID bill that Trump has demanded.
“The truth is clear: No one has been more loyal to Donald Trump than me—fighting the stolen 2020 election, being in Mar-a-Lago when he announced his 2024 campaign, and standing with him in NY in the face of lawfare,” Paxton wrote in a social media post. “For the good of our country and for the good of passing President Trump’s agenda, I am determined to help him get this done.”
Less than a week later, Cornyn announced he would help change Senate rules to overcome Democratic opposition and pass the act, referencing Trump’s wish for it in an op-ed.
“I’ve partnered with the president to cut taxes for working families, rebuild our military, stop inflation, transform the courts and secure our border,” Cornyn wrote. “Now this success story needs its next chapter.”
The runoff election will take place later this month, when voters decide which candidate to put up against state Representative James Talarico, a challenging Democratic opponent.
Do you have questions, concerns or tips? Send them to Ray at rjlewis@sbgtv.com.