Cornyn Crashes Out on Scott Presler and Mike Lee After SAVE America Fiasco

Republican Sen. John Cornyn of Texas pushed back against criticism from Utah Sen. Mike Lee and conservative activist Scott Presler after they questioned his efforts to advance voter ID legislation known as the SAVE America Act.

Presler, a vocal supporter of the bill, has recently hosted multiple online livestreams with Reps. Randy Fine, R-Fla.; Burgess Owens, R-Utah; and Brandon Gill, R-Texas, emphasizing the need to pressure the Senate to pass the legislation.

“Just had a conversation with Senator John Cornyn at the airport,” Presler wrote on X. “I was very gracious & asked him to pass the SAVE America Act.”

Cornyn responded by calling Presler a “grifter.”

According to Urban Dictionary, grifter means “somebody who can influence anybody, anywhere, at anytime, into doing whatever they choose to have them do, that will result in the grifter’s personal gain. Usually monetary, but really anything that benefits him or her somehow.”

The Texas senator later engaged in a back-and-forth on X with Lee after the Utah Republican urged Senate Majority Leader John Thune to bring the bill to the floor.

“Mike, I am a co-sponsor and have repeatedly voted for this but you don’t have the votes,” Cornyn wrote. “@LeaderJohnThune can’t change that. It is math. Try focusing on Democrats instead of Republicans. Republican on Republican attacks are hurting our chances to win the majority in November.”

Lee pushed back, questioning Cornyn’s characterization of his comments as an attack on fellow Republicans.

“On what planet is this an attack on Republicans?” Lee wrote. “We have majority support for the bill. In this rare circumstance, we should put it on the floor and keep debating it until it passes. That’s not an attack on Republicans. That’s a plan of attack against voter fraud.”

Lee added that internal party disagreements should not be interpreted as disloyalty.

“If one can’t advocate for a legislative strategy without being accused of ‘attacking Republicans,’ we’re in for a rough ride as a party,” he said.

In a separate post, Lee referenced Cornyn directly, writing that “once my friend John Cornyn realizes that you’re saying this in his name—whoever you are—I don’t think he’ll be happy with you.”

During a Thursday appearance on CNN, Daily Signal CEO Rob Bluey weighed in on the dispute, arguing that Cornyn’s position reflects reluctance to challenge Senate procedural rules.

“John Cornyn is a sponsor of the SAVE America Act, but he doesn’t have the backbone to stand on the Senate floor and make the Democrats debate until they get to the point where it can pass with a single majority vote,” Bluey said.