It was a message.

A lot of D.C. insiders believed that President Trump would eventually endorse RINO establishment Texas Senator John Cornyn for one reason and one reason only: the SAVE Act. The thinking was that Trump would tolerate backing a deeply unpopular RINO if it helped secure the passing of one of the biggest election integrity issues in the country.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune and the GOP establishment probably thought they had leverage.

They wanted to protect Cornyn and keep the machine running like always. Then, they could keep slow-walking the SAVE Act, string Trump and the voters along, and eventually force Trump into swallowing another establishment ally "for the good of the party."

But then something changed…

Trump realized the deal was probably never real to begin with.

And once that happened, the entire thing flipped.

Because if the SAVE Act was never truly moving, and if Senate leadership was simply using it as bait while trying to save one of the most anti-MAGA Republicans in Washington, then Trump's decision makes perfect sense:

"Why the f**k should I support this guy?"

That question has sent shockwaves through the GOP establishment.

Axios looked into what reportedly happened behind the scenes. According to insiders, the SAVE Act was the only thing keeping Trump from immediately cutting Cornyn loose.