Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) is one of many Republicans whom Trump either primaried to have removed from office or just outright drove out of politics altogether, such as Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC).
As we have seen in other cases, Cassidy became an opposing voice and a resistance vote in the Senate at every opportunity, including having voted with Democrats on a resolution to dial back Trump’s war powers against Iran.
With a housing bill and the SAVE America Act at stake, Trump headed to the Hill to meet with Republicans, and the meeting reportedly turned into a shouting match between the president and Cassidy, nearly nose-to-nose with each other.
To his credit, Trump listened to Cassidy’s complaint, invited him in for a briefing, and the war powers problem was solved, with Cassidy flipping his vote.
Cassidy’s outburst may have been a saving grace for Trump, as it proves a point I have been making for some time. That being that this administration struggles on the communication front, and if it gets better at doing that, Trump still has time to win these members over and make the most of the last six months of the GOP being in charge of Congress.
The argument was front-page news across just about every outlet in existence, and Cassidy was more than happy to share his side of the story. When asked what took place, he noted that the president questioned why any Republicans would vote for the War Powers Act. Cassidy took the bait, telling the media:
"I said, 'is that a rhetorical question, or would you like to really know?' He said, 'I'd like to know.' I stood and said, 'You have not told the American people what's going on. It was supposed to last four weeks. It's lasted four months. Our original objectives have not been achieved, and I want to know what's going on.'"
This was not Cassidy making it personal. This was Cassidy sticking up for the American people who are funding this effort. He was asking for something he is entitled to: information to be able to make an informed decision.
Operation Epic Fury is well past the 90-day limit, so the onus of responsibility now falls to Congress to keep this war effort going. Cassidy was doing nothing more than ensuring constitutional integrity.
The question that needs to be answered is how Cassidy could have such a massive change of heart so quickly. It comes down to one word: communication.
Cassidy posted to X after he had been invited to sit down with Vice President Vance and Special Envoy Witkoff:
"I want to thank Vice President Vance and Special Envoy Witkoff for the thorough briefing this afternoon on Iran. I appreciate the quick invitation to the White House to address many of my concerns."
In addition to Cassidy, Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) went from supporting the Democrat resolution to voting “present.” He stated that Trump had discussed the issue with him, and "asked me to give consideration to his negotiating position.” And he obliged.
When I wrote about this in my June 23 report (click here to read that report in full), I had stated that at 80 years old, it was not likely that Trump would change his ways, but he proved me wrong, and that is a plate of black crow I will gladly eat.
But all this could have been avoided had the administration been more forthcoming before putting the memorandum of understanding (MOU) in play with Iran. That approach has burned some bridges in the Senate, but thankfully, at least two of them appear to have been repaired, if not in full, at least to the point that it is serviceable.
This is that rare moment where we get to applaud both sides. The administration showed true growth here, reaching out to someone within the party who is in clear conflict with the president for the good of the administration, the party, the country, and We the People.
Cassidy is to be applauded as well. He has every reason to make this personal after being primaried by Trump, but he put his personal feelings aside and made a decision based on information rather than emotion.
So, how does this impact things going forward? Congress is about to take its holiday break, and Trump is headed out of the country for a NATO summit in Turkey. This will, hopefully, give everyone a chance to digest what happened and learn a very valuable lesson.
Cassidy’s outburst was actually a godsend for Trump and the party. If I were advising Trump, I would tell him that as soon as he gets back from this trip, he should bring the entire resistance in for a nice dinner at the White House to clear the air. Some of these people are only in office for another six months, while others will be there for the rest of his term.
He needs them all on his side, or at least not fighting him every step of the way to exact revenge for Trump having gone after them in the past.
Every person on the other side of the aisle, save for Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA), despises Trump and will not work with him. That means Trump cannot afford to have enemies within the party.
I firmly believe that Trump thinks he has the country’s best interest at heart in the decisions he is making, but that does not mean everyone sees it that way, and that is fine. But when that happens, don’t argue in the media or on social media. Bring them in, sit them down, and work out an agreement behind closed doors to show a united front.
And even if they don’t agree, a “present” vote is far better than a vote with Democrats.
It took 18 months for this lesson to be learned, but it was learned. That leaves us with six months, so make the most of it.
