Trump endorsement threatens Senator Bill Cassidy’s reelection in Louisiana

President Trump’s surprise endorsement of Representative Julia Letlow has upended Senator Bill Cassidy’s re-election bid in Louisiana and imperiled the senator’s standing with Republicans at home, the Times reports. Cassidy, a physician who led a vaccination campaign in Louisiana, reluctantly voted to confirm Robert F.

Kennedy Jr. as health secretary — a decision that did not satisfy Mr. Trump, according to the article. The report says Mr. Kennedy has since scaled back recommended childhood vaccines, canceled grants and contracts for vaccine development, and installed inoculation skeptics on a key advisory committee.

Mr. Cassidy also voted to convict Mr. Trump in 2021, an action the piece says has complicated his relationship with the party. The campaign picture is mixed. Cassidy’s advisers note he is well-funded, has strong name recognition and support from Senate Republican leaders; his campaign manager, Katie Larkin, said he "has the support and resources needed to win." Still, the article documents local frustration at events such as a visit to a Baton Rouge oyster bar and cites Republican critics who say his attempts to placate Mr.

Trump have not paid off. What happens next is uncertain. The May primary will test Mr. Trump’s endorsement power and whether there is room in the Republican Party for perceived dissenters, the report says.

Key Topics

Politics, Bill Cassidy, Louisiana, Donald Trump, Julia Letlow, Robert Kennedy Jr