Former President Donald Trump criticized Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, calling him one of the worst senators in the United States Senate. Trump expressed his disappointment in Cassidy for voting to convict him at his impeachment trial for his involvement in the Capitol riot on January 6, 2021. Despite endorsing Cassidy in his 2020 re-election campaign, Trump now refers to him as a “total flake” and a “stiff.”
Cassidy was one of seven Senate Republicans who voted to convict Trump for inciting an insurrection. Trump expressed his belief that Louisiana did not need Cassidy to protect them as they had him. Trump mentioned that Cassidy was faced with backlash upon returning home after his impeachment trial vote, with people throwing foul language at him and expressing their disapproval. However, Trump stated that he had been focusing on other matters and did not think much about Cassidy.
The former president claimed that Cassidy had shown interest in running for governor of Louisiana but chose not to after endorsing another Republican candidate. Trump suggested that Cassidy is now viewed as a disloyal lightweight in his own state and emphasized that he had lost support among the people. Cassidy had previously stated that Trump could not win the 2024 White House election, believing that President Biden and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis were the only viable options.
Cassidy publicly criticized Trump’s rhetoric towards migrants entering the country illegally, describing it as dehumanizing. He also expressed that many people have reservations about both Biden and Trump as presidential candidates, leading some to consider third-party options. Cassidy is among the 15 GOP senators who have not yet endorsed Trump for the 2024 presidential election, indicating a lack of support for the former president within the Republican Party. The Washington Post has reached out to Cassidy’s office for a response to Trump’s comments.
