Ousted Senate Republican digs in against Trump, takes jab at leadership style https://ift.tt/HbJEcOR

A Senate Republican ousted by President Donald Trump took a veiled shot at the president and is poised to become a foil to his agenda during Cassidy's waning time in office.

Trump may have vanquished Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., from the upper chamber when he endorsed Rep. Julia Letlow, R-La., in his primary race, but the lawmaker is not going quietly into the sunset of his political career in Congress.

Since the dust settled on Cassidy’s primary race, which is now headed to a runoff between Letlow and Louisiana state Treasurer John Fleming, the lawmaker has already dug his heels in against some of Trump’s key policy and spending desires.  

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In a lengthy post on X, Cassidy wrote of America’s future and called for unity. And though he did not explicitly name Trump, his viewpoint on leadership appeared to take a jab at the president.

"At its best, America has renewed itself through leaders who understood that public office is a responsibility, not a performance," Cassidy said. "The American people do not expect perfection from their leaders, but they do expect seriousness." 

"Leaders who are steady, not erratic. Thoughtful, not impulsive," he continued. "Their words should lower the temperature rather than inflame division. Their actions should place the long-term interests of the country above short-term political or personal gain."

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Those messages came after Cassidy publicly broke with Trump on both the Iran war and the surprise nearly $2 billion "anti-weaponization" fund announced by the Department of Justice earlier last week.

When asked about the post, Cassidy told Fox News Digital in a statement, "If trust is destroyed, whether in marriage, business, or politics, it’s harder to get things done."

"It is an observation of life," he said. "Conversely, if you want to get things done, build trust."

It all comes after Trump made Cassidy one of his targets in his so-called revenge tour.

Cassidy, along with a handful of other Republicans, voted to convict him during the last impeachment proceedings following the Jan. 6, 2021, riot on Capitol Hill. And he doesn’t regret that vote, telling reporters last week shortly after his loss that he "voted to uphold the Constitution."

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"It may have cost me my seat, but who cares? I had the privilege of voting to uphold the Constitution," Cassidy said. "Isn’t that a great thing?"

The White House, when asked for comment Tuesday on Cassidy's apparent barb toward the president, told Fox News Digital to review the slew of Trump's Truth Social posts about the lawmaker.

Trump celebrated Cassidy's loss in his primary, and painted the lawmaker as being disloyal because of his impeachment vote.

"Bill Cassidy, after falsely using his ‘relationship’ with me during his political career, and winning Elections because of it, voted to impeach me on preposterous charges that were fake then, and now, are criminally insane," Trump said. "His disloyalty to the man who got him elected is now a part of legend, and it’s nice to see that his political career is OVER!"

Shortly after, Cassidy bucked Trump on the Senate floor, joining nearly every Senate Democrat to handcuff the president's war powers in Iran. He provided the pivotal vote to advance the resolution, which is expected to fail when brought to the floor once more.

And he, like several other Republicans, is outright rejecting the "anti-weaponization" fund, which, after a tense, closed-door meeting last week, has temporarily derailed the GOP’s push to fund immigration enforcement for the remainder of Trump’s term.

Cassidy, like several of his colleagues, wanted Congress to have a say on the fund.

"People are concerned about making their own ends meet, not about putting a slush fund together without a legal precedent," Cassidy said. "We’re a nation of laws. If there needs to be a settlement, let’s consider it, and Congress should come together and decide on that."

Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for comment.