Trump Impeachment And Rfk Jr. Votes Loom As Sen. Bill Cassidy Fights For Political Survival

COVINGTON, La. — Sen. Bill Cassidy knows Republican voters won’t hide his determination to convict President Donald Trump successful nan Jan. 6 impeachment trial. But whether Cassidy is re-elected to different word successful Louisiana this twelvemonth whitethorn dangle connected whether they are consenting to forgive him.

During a caller run extremity astatine an assisted surviving location successful Louisiana’s Northshore, nan first mobility from nan crowd was whether Cassidy regretted his impeachment vote, arsenic good arsenic his ballot to corroborate Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Cassidy acknowledged “those will beryllium 2 votes that group will retrieve maine for.” But he besides defended himself, saying he made his choices based connected nan champion disposable accusation he had astatine nan time. And he added that “no,” he doesn’t deliberation Trump should “continue” to beryllium impeached.

Asked later by NBC News whether he thinks his impeachment ballot will beryllium a liability successful his GOP primary, Cassidy said that it “might be.” But he besides sought to downplay his rift pinch Trump arsenic a impermanent disagreement, noting he has voted pinch nan president 90% of nan time.

“I show people, ‘Hey, you’re married? Did ever your spouse do thing that you didn’t really like?’ And you activity done it,” he told NBC News successful an question and reply that aired connected "Meet nan Press NOW." “I’m focused connected nan now and nan future. If you want personification delivering for our state, to make Louisiana a spot wherever group move to group down roots, raise their children and grandchildren, I’m your guy.”

Cassidy, a expert who has been successful Congress for 17 years, is successful nan conflict of his governmental life arsenic he fends disconnected a superior situation from Trump-backed Rep. Julia Letlow and Louisiana Treasurer John Fleming successful deep-red Louisiana. More than $20 cardinal has been spent connected nan airwaves up of nan May 16 primary, according to nan search patient AdImpact.

Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., has walked a governmental tightrope arsenic nan chair of nan Senate's wellness committee.J. Scott Applewhite / AP

Cassidy has nan backing of Senate Republican activity and nan use of an knowledgeable and prolific fundraising operation. But some Letlow and Fleming person tried to overgarment Cassidy arsenic anti-Trump, while nan president himself has recorded videos successful support of Letlow.

But those aren’t nan only headwinds Cassidy is facing. As president of nan Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, he has besides fought pinch nan “Make America Healthy Again” activity complete his staunch support for vaccines.

And while he was nan decisive ballot successful getting Kennedy, a longtime anti-vaccine activist, confirmed, Cassidy has since repeatedly criticized his actions astatine HHS — including nan firing of each 17 members of nan Centers for Disease Control’s Advisory Committee connected Immunization Practices and replacing them pinch members of his ain choosing, among them respective known vaccine skeptics. Those tensions could beryllium connected afloat show erstwhile again erstwhile Kennedy comes to publically attest earlier nan sheet later this month, forcing Cassidy to locomotion a delicate tightrope.

Cassidy’s pushback and first hesitation to support Kennedy has not gone unnoticed by nan MAHA activity that nan caput champions. Kennedy state Tony Lyons is supporting Letlow, and pledged $1 cardinal done his “Make America Healthy Again PAC” to thief conclusion Cassidy earlier Letlow moreover entered nan race. (So far, nan group has spent complete $200,000 successful support of Letlow.)

Cassidy mostly downplayed his differences pinch nan MAHA movement, highlighting immoderate of nan areas wherever they are aligned. But he besides based on that, connected nan taxable of vaccines, much voters whitethorn beryllium connected his broadside now that group person seen nan deadly consequences of not getting vaccinated.

“MAHA and I are wholly agreed connected ultra processed foods, and we’ve had awesome occurrence there,” he told NBC News. “Clearly, I person differences pinch immoderate connected immunizations, but I deliberation erstwhile we spot those thousands of group getting bales successful these outbreaks, and children dying from bales and different vaccine preventable diseases, folks are benignant of unfastened to this. They understand that this is important.”

Cassidy, 68, who kicked disconnected nan caller run arena by talking astir his profession successful medicine and saying “being a expert defines who I am,” has tried to thin into his wellness attraction credentials successful different ways.

He told NBC News he said precocious pinch Trump’s squad astir crafting a measure to bring down nan costs of wellness care, which he hopes to rotation retired “soon.” He spearheaded a abstracted health attraction proposal introduced by Senate Republicans successful December, which grounded to summation nan basal bipartisan support for passage.

Heading into this fall’s midterm elections, Republicans are still trying to find their footing connected nan taxable of affordability, which is apt to beryllium a defining rumor successful a number of cardinal races.

“Voters are very concerned astir economical issues. We’ve sewage to speak to affordability. Probably nan value of state will proceed to beryllium influenced by nan warfare successful Iran,” Cassidy told NBC News. “When I started speaking astir wellness attraction affordability, heads nodded, and erstwhile I said astir trying to bring down nan costs of medicine drugs, heads were nodding yes successful statement that that’s what we request to do.”

All 3 candidates successful nan Louisiana’s Senate GOP superior whitethorn tally into different hurdle: Trump’s crusade against mail-in voting. Last week, nan president signed an executive order aimed astatine restricting nan practice, though it is facing ineligible challenges.

That has near immoderate Republican voters questioning whether message ballots are safe to usage themselves, which could beryllium a awesome rumor successful nan Louisiana superior since it takes spot connected a Saturday. During his municipality hall-style run stop, personification successful nan crowd expressed interest to Cassidy astir voting by mail, noting that Trump has described it arsenic a “way of cheating.”

Cassidy assured nan room that message ballots are safe to usage successful Louisiana.

“I for illustration nan mail-in ballot,” he said, earlier pivoting to his support for nan SAVE America Act, a Trump privilege that seeks to enforce nationalist elector ID requirements and require impervious of citizenship to registry to vote.

Speaking to NBC News, Cassidy did not opportunity whether he thought Trump’s rhetoric astir message voting was helpful. But he continued to take sides message balloting successful reddish states for illustration Louisiana, while giving oxygen to Trump’s unfounded claims that nan believe tin beryllium ripe for fraud successful Democratic-run states.

“As a doctor, I cognize location are group who cannot physically spell to a voting booth, and you want to make judge they tin still vote,” he said. “But I’ll proudly opportunity of my authorities that group do not speak of corruption successful my state’s elections.”

Between recently instituted rules that only let registered Republicans to participate successful nan GOP superior and nan imaginable of a little turnout for a Saturday election, diehard conservatives could play an outsize domiciled successful nan outcome. And some Letlow and Fleming deliberation that could bode good for their ain prospects.

President Donald Trump stands pinch Rep Julia Letlow astatine nan White House connected Dec. 11, 2025.Alex Wong / Getty Images

Letlow, 44, who filled her husband’s spot successful Congress aft he died of Covid-19 days aft winning his race, was recruited heavy by nan Trump management to tally for Cassidy’s spot and jumped into nan race earlier this twelvemonth aft nan president endorsed her connected societal media.

“That endorsement has been a immense root of power for our campaign, because Louisiana Republicans spot President Trump,” Letlow told NBC News successful an interview.

“When nan president tells you request to measurement up, and erstwhile nan voters successful Louisiana are really encouraging, saying, we want an alternative, we want different choice, would you see doing this? Would you believe astir it? And you know, erstwhile I had that portion astir it, I decided to spell each in,” Letlow added.

But Letlow is facing challenges of her own. Cassidy has criticized her complete her past support for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies erstwhile she was a assemblage module member, her late disclosure of individual banal trades, and that nary of her bills person been signed into law. Letlow defended her banal trading activity, noting her investments are professionally managed by an independent 3rd statement and that nan paperwork correction was corrected arsenic soon arsenic it was discovered. She besides said that she reversed people connected DEI aft she “saw it for what it was” and spent her clip successful Congress “fighting against it.”

“Cassidy is lying astir maine because he can’t take sides his ain record,” she said.

If nary campaigner tin unafraid a mostly of nan ballot connected superior day, nan apical 2 vote-getters will beforehand to a June 27 runoff. Fleming, a erstwhile congressman, believes he tin nudge retired Letlow and return connected Cassidy head-to-head.

Fleming, who served successful various positions successful nan first Trump management and was a founding personnel of nan blimpish House Freedom Caucus, said he is nan campaigner pinch nan astir MAGA credentials.

But Fleming’s candidacy has created headaches for Trump’s allies, since it could prolong nan race.

Fleming told NBC News successful an question and reply that successful precocious January, astir nan filing deadline, personification “around” nan Trump management offered him a occupation to driblet retired of nan title arsenic a measurement to thief clear nan way for Letlow, but that he declined to return it. Fleming declined to opportunity who made nan overture aliases what nan occupation would person been.

“They were trying to entice maine to make it easier for her,” Fleming said. “And on nan way, President Trump and I had a little conversation, and it was a very, very bully conversation. And arsenic acold arsenic I tin tell, we’re connected awesome terms.”

The White House didn’t instantly respond to a petition for comment.

Fleming warned that Letlow is becoming “overconfident” that Trump's endorsement will unafraid her support from nan MAGA base.

“While an endorsement for illustration that is certainly, peculiarly successful Louisiana, is celebrated and adjuvant … it doesn’t get you elected,” he said.