This was a bit of unexpected drama today.
It was very much up in the air until the lame duck senator stepped to the microphone on the Senate floor. Two days ago, he was singing a different tune.
SEN. BILL CASSIDY (R-LA): So, I've not made a decision regarding Mr. Blanche. I've got to be convinced that he is an attorney general who just happens to have once been President Trump's personal attorney, as opposed to President Trump's personal attorney who is now the attorney general. I think there's a big difference between the two.
I am very concerned about so-called lawfare—people being prosecuted not for a valid reason beyond somebody in high office being angry at them. And so, I'm very concerned about that, and so that will factor into my decision-making.
And with the obstacles against the nomination that had already been thrown up by exiting Senate members and severe TDS sufferers John Cornyn and Thom Tillis, not to mention the outright 'nay' votes on record from Alaska's reigning turncoat, Lisa Murkowski and the always mercurial Susan Collins (although she's in the middle of a campaign cycle, so no one expected any different), Cassidy's own reason to foil anything Trump wanted could easily come into play.
There's no love lost there. They've been at loggerheads for a while.
...“Sometimes he acts as if Congress is merely an appendage, and, frankly, sometimes Congress acts like it’s an appendage,” the Louisiana Republican said in a pre-taped interview with CBS’ “Face the Nation” that aired Sunday.
The latest criticism in a public clash between the two leaders, Cassidy also told host Margaret Brennan that he would be focused on affordability, including the cost of health care and groceries, if he were president.
“If I were president, I would be focused on those people that they have, my people, our people, us at the kitchen table. How do you make their life better? And that’s what I think the president should be focused on,” Cassidy said.
The relationship between Cassidy and Trump has been rocky for some time. Cassidy was one of only a handful of Republican leaders who voted to convict Trump for his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot.
Trump and Cassidy recently clashed in a closed-door meeting involving GOP senators, with Cassidy admitting he raised his voice to “match” the president’s in a discussion about the Iran war.
And Trump had gone hard against the Louisiana senator in his primary this spring by endorsing an opponent.
...Shoot - the sitting US senator, who has been in office since 2015, couldn't even manage to make it to the runoff. That's how badly Louisiana voters wanted him gone.
The best Cassidy could manage was a third-place finish, winding up four points behind the state's current treasurer, John Fleming, claiming the Number Two spot.
Politico called the vanquishing another victory on Trump's 'revenge tour.'
Heh
Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) just lost his seat — a key victory for President Donald Trump’s revenge tour this cycle.
Rep. Julia Letlow, the Trump-backed candidate, and state Treasurer John Fleming advanced to a runoff in the Louisiana GOP Senate primary on Saturday, with Cassidy finishing in third place.
It’s a remarkable result: Cassidy is the first previously elected senator of either party to lose in a primary since 2012. The two-term senator and chair of the powerful Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee failed to even make the runoff, finishing with roughly a quarter of the vote.
Quite frankly, everyone was waiting with bated breath, expecting a Cornyn/Tillis sabotage of Todd Blanche's nomination.
...Mr. Cassidy’s decision had been anxiously watched by the White House.
Two Republicans, Sens. Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, have said they will vote against Mr. Blanche. With Sen. Mitch McConnell’s ongoing absence, the loss of a third Republican would likely delay, if not derail, Mr. Blanche’s confirmation.
Mr. Blanche has been the acting attorney general since the ouster of Pam Bondi last spring.
Mr. Cassidy noted that even if the nomination fails, Mr. Blanche will remain at the helm — though without the institutional heft that comes with being the full attorney general.
He said Mr. Blanche “showed poor judgment” in approving Mr. Trump’s $1.776 Anti-Weaponization Fund and in letting the Justice Department pursue some cases against the president’s political enemies.
“I am realistic that Mr. Trump can be unrelenting on this, but this is true no matter who the attorney general is. This is the rationale for having a Senate-confirmed attorney general with more leverage to push back,” the senator said.
It didn't happen.
I’m no Cassidy fan, but I’ll say this much: if Cornyn & Tillis are remembered at all (big if), it will be as petulant little boys who tried to inflict as much damage as possible on their way out the door. Cassidy’s decided to take a different path. His legacy’s not without its… https://t.co/Fzh8b9Iejg
— Brandon 🇺🇸🥓🥃 (@Brash_1) August 7, 2026
...His legacy’s not without its flaws, but at least he won’t be remembered as a sore loser.
Part of Cassidy's rationale for his decision also rings true. Blanche, by virtue of having been through the fire with Trump during all the lawfare over the past four years, may well be able to chill the president out some when he starts snorting fire.
...But Cassidy said no other nominee may be able to run the department better under Trump, and he added that Blanche’s role as Trump’s former criminal defense lawyer can make him more effective at pushing back on the president’s demands.
Now that Cassidy's on board, a Blanche confirmation could be imminent and another administration temporary hole would be permanently plugged.
🚨 BREAKING: Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) has confirmed he WILL be voting to confirm Todd Blanche as Attorney General
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) August 7, 2026
Cassidy was the DECIDING VOTE, practically sealing the deal for Blanche, after Murkowski and Collins said they'd vote against him.
Blanche could be confirmed… pic.twitter.com/xtzJZduRq8
And holy smokes, aren't the usual suspects having fits.
Cassidy caves. So only GOP senators voting No are Murkowski and Collins.
— Bill Kristol (@BillKristol) August 7, 2026
Never send a man to do a woman's job.
You see, Cassidy voted to confirm RFK Jr., too. That's the explanation for a good number of the other complaints.
Cassidy is now responsible for the death of public health AND the rule of law in this country. Quite the legacy. https://t.co/jzw6CkrnJA
— Emily A. The Spirit of Jezebel (@emzorbit) August 7, 2026
Now, if Thune could find enough motivation to get the ball rolling on everything else, we'd be somewhere.
Mike Lee is clearly pushing Senate Republicans to prioritize election legislation over other issues.
— David Rush 🔥 (@davidrush) August 7, 2026
Supporters of the SAVE America Act will likely agree that securing elections should come first.
Now the question is whether Republican leadership will actually act on his…
...Now the question is whether Republican leadership will actually act on his demand.
For all Mitch McConnell's faults, he was a monster confirmation machine and could move some legislation, bless his tottery turtle bod.
