Louisiana Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy on Sunday said Donald Trump should drop out of the presidential race amid the former president’s mounting legal troubles and the belief that he’s unable to beat President Biden.
“Obviously, that’s up to him. You’re just asking me my opinion, but he will lose to Joe Biden if you look at the current polls,” Mr. Cassidy said on CNN’s “State of the Union.” “I think Joe Biden needs to be replaced, but I don’t think Americans will vote for someone who’s been convicted.”
Mr. Cassidy, known for his bipartisanship, voted to convict Mr. Trump during his second Senate impeachment trial for the 2021 U.S. Capitol attack.
He said anyone other than Mr. Trump in the crowded primary field would be a viable option as the GOP candidates are set to square off in the first debate on Wednesday in Milwaukee. The former president, however, has cited his commanding lead in the polls as a reason to skip the debate.
Mr. Cassidy said the charges of mishandling classified documents are among the most serious of the four indictments against Mr. Trump and could do the most damage at the ballot box.
“I’m a Republican. I think any Republican on that stage in Milwaukee will do a better job than Joe Biden, and so I want one of them to win,” he said. “If former President Trump ends up getting the nomination, but cannot win a general, that means we’ll have four more years of policies … which I think have been deleterious to our country’s future.”
• Ramsey Touchberry can be reached at rtouchberry@washingtontimes.com.
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