Senator Bill Cassidy, a Republican from Louisiana who is leaving office after Donald Trump backed a successful primary challenger, has accused the president of treating Congress as "merely an appendage" in handling the Iran war. In an interview on CBS News's Face the Nation on Sunday, Cassidy detailed a recent confrontation with Trump over the lack of congressional briefings on hostilities with Tehran.
Cassidy's confrontation with Trump
Cassidy let his "Irish temper" flare during a Capitol Hill lunch after Trump "berated" him and three other Republican senators who supported a war powers resolution symbolically rebuking the White House. "I raised my volume to match his," Cassidy told the show, echoing earlier remarks. He argued that under the US Constitution's separation of powers, Congress must be briefed. The founding fathers designed the system "so that there would not be too powerful of an institution of a presidency" and to "reflect all of the American people, not just the will of one person." Cassidy accused Trump of acting "as if Congress is merely an appendage, and frankly, sometimes Congress acts like it's an appendage."
Outcome of the row
Cassidy said he "accomplished the mission" because after the heated exchange, Trump conceded and arranged a briefing from Vice-President JD Vance and special envoy Steve Witkoff. Following that briefing, Cassidy dropped his support for the war powers resolution. However, his blunt comments signal he feels emboldened after effectively losing his Senate seat, which he held since 2015. On Saturday, Julia Letlow, the Trump-backed challenger, won a runoff election and is poised to replace Cassidy after November's general election.
Criticism of Trump's priorities
Cassidy, who voted to convict Trump in his 2021 impeachment trial over the Capitol attack, questioned the president's second-term agenda. He criticized Trump's focus on the Save America Act, which would introduce new federal voting restrictions, saying the priority should be "how we make life more affordable for the average American." Cassidy added, "If I were president, I'd be focused on what a family around the kitchen table is looking at as they go through their bills. … How do you make their life better?"
Assessment of the Iran war
Cassidy was critical of the Trump administration's handling of the conflict, suggesting it failed to meet initial objectives. "The fact is that a medium-sized power at this point is perceived to have fought a superpower to a draw," he said, noting the war has cost $29bn and claimed 13 American lives. In contrast, fellow Republican Senator Roger Marshall of Kansas offered a more upbeat view on NBC's Meet the Press: "I don't think the war is over [but] we're making great progress. So I'm asking America to hang in there."
Threats over confirmation process
Cassidy also made threatening remarks about the confirmation process for acting attorney general Todd Blanche, where he may hold a key vote. He is among Republican senators angered by Justice Department plans to establish a $1.8bn "weaponization fund" to pay Trump's allies and a move to permanently shield the president and his family from IRS audits. "I absolutely object to that," Cassidy told CBS News. "Leaders should be held to a higher standard, not a different standard. They should be more accountable … I would object to anything that goes against the spirit of that, and making one person above the law is wrong."
