Sen. John Cornyn is apparently still miffed that he lost the Texas Republican Senate primary earlier this week to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, in part, due to President Donald Trump’s endorsement.

The defeated Texas senator made his thoughts known — sort of — on Friday in a cryptic social media post that seemed very similar to a song that the president is fond of quoting at rallies.

Trump has been known to quote “The Snake,” a 1969 hit from soul singer Al Wilson, where a woman is bitten by a snake she previously helped, only to have the animal tell her, “You knew damn well I was a snake before you took me in.”

Cornyn’s post substituted a scorpion and a frog for the woman and the snake, respectively, but it was basically the same story. He called it “an old, but apt fable,” and credited it to Wikipedia.

An old, but apt fable:A scorpion wants to cross a river but cannot swim, so it asks a frog to carry it across. The frog hesitates, afraid that the scorpion might sting it, but the scorpion promises not to, pointing out that it would drown if it killed the frog in the middle of…

Many people on social media assumed that Cornyn was referring to Trump’s decision to endorse Paxton despite ― or, perhaps because of ― a long history of corruption allegations.

So President Trump is the scorpion and you're the frog?

Definitely not a metaphor https://t.co/H5t6yUX9nT

You should have voted to convict the scorpion in its impeachment trial, Senator Frog https://t.co/WlgbsW4VST

Dear Senator @JohnCornyn: Thank you for the fable. I’m curious, why do you and so many other Republican elected officials choose to be hesitant frogs?Why not choose to be the elephant that has historically represented the GOP. Elephants are not scared of poisonous scorpions. https://t.co/F2ajPrRvMJ

Some people wondered why Cornyn was being so cryptic.

Can you not bring yourself to mention his name? https://t.co/Re541qZguw

I do get it, but this is Twitter and you’re allowed to actually shitpost those bad people by name. https://t.co/QjpHSScYXK

Allow me to interpret: Cornyn and fellow do nothing Republicans are the scorpion, voters chose not to trust him and others for another cycle. Cornyn is sad about this, but we really don’t care. https://t.co/QzMowz67pm

Puck reporter Leigh Ann Caldwell said Cornyn’s post reflected what other Republican politicians are saying in private.

John Cornyn comes out and says what senators have been telling me privately....They’re perplexed, angry, and, in some cases, resigned to the conclusion that Trump cares more about himself than the midterms. https://t.co/4EeopRNcZE https://t.co/UHHslpqGKv

Others just called out Cornyn for making the mistake of getting involved with Trump in the first place.

This is actually what Trump did to you https://t.co/O87v3ppUUl

Nearly every Republican knows Trump is a scorpion.He would sting any of them without hesitation to help himself or just because he feels like it. That is his character.And nearly all still choose to serve him anyway. https://t.co/tt8DF4bO1S

A Persian fable, adapted and popularized by Russian writers, then by Orson Welles in Mr. Arkadin. But we are humans, not scorpions, Senator, and we are responsible for our actions, and must be held so. https://t.co/m59tdJGovs

John: If you believe what you said about Paxton, and if you now believe what you’re saying about Trump (maybe you should name him?) — you should support Talarico. https://t.co/NZyWoMctS8

Some questioned the timing of Cornyn’s post ...

Don’t you love when politicians preach truth as soon as they realize their careers are over? https://t.co/mkTYkcLvAt

Hilarious seeing these spineless clowns get all high and mighty with their moralizing once they get kicked out https://t.co/PSHQNnCwmQ

Will Saletan, who writes for the Bulwark, told Cornyn that he should have learned the lesson in the parable years ago.

“The reason they wrote these fables is so you’d learn them as a child, not when you’re 74,” he responded.

The reason they wrote these fables is so you’d learn them as a child, not when you’re 74.

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