GOP senator says Trump should drop out, calls classified documents case "almost a slam dunk"

[Landslide Lyndon]

https://edition.cnn.com/2023/08/20/politics/bill-cassidy-trump-should-drop-out-cnntv/

Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy described the case against former President Donald Trump for allegedly mishandling classified documents as “almost a slam dunk” and said he thinks Trump should drop out of the 2024 presidential race.

“I mean, you’re just asking me my opinion. But he will lose to Joe Biden, if you look at the current polls,” he told CNN’s Kasie Hunt on “State of the Union.”

“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. If former President Trump ends up getting the nomination, but cannot win a general, that means we will have four more years of policies which have led to very high inflation … and to many other things which I think have been deleterious to our country’s future,” the Louisiana senator said.

[Darthpi - Crush the Oligarchy]

I do wonder what Cassidy is going to do when Trump wins the nomination, given that he was one of the few Republicans who voted to convict Trump in the impeachment trial. Like, he's only criticizing Trump here because he thinks Trump will lose in the general election, so is it possible that he's going to end up endorsing him despite the fact that he would have legally barred Trump from holding office again via impeachment conviction? That would be completely incoherent and yet also alarmingly unsurprising.

[2016]

I do wonder what Cassidy is going to do when Trump wins the nomination, given that he was one of the few Republicans who voted to convict Trump in the impeachment trial. Like, he's only criticizing Trump here because he thinks Trump will lose in the general election, so is it possible that he's going to end up endorsing him despite the fact that he would have legally barred Trump from holding office again via impeachment conviction? That would be completely incoherent and yet also alarmingly unsurprising.

Cassidy is one of those Republican Senators who have principle. He won't support Trump no matter what happens. He's probably going to retire anyways in 2026 when his Seat is up again which should be a Republican Year particularly if Biden gets re-elected.

[2016]

Here are the sitting Republican Senators who have already declined to endorse DONALD TRUMP:

Senator Katie Britt of Alabama
Senator Susan Collins of Maine
Senator John Cornyn of Texas
Senator Tom Cotton of Arkansas
Senator Joni Ernst of Iowa
Senator Josh Hawley of Missouri
Senator James Lankford of Oklahoma
Senator Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming
Minority Leader Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky
Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska
Senator Marco Rubio of Florida
Senator Rick Scott of Florida
Senator Todd Young of Indiana

That's a lot of Senators besides Cassidy.

[The Mikado]

Here are the sitting Republican Senators who have already declined to endorse DONALD TRUMP:

Senator Katie Britt of Alabama
Senator Susan Collins of Maine
Senator John Cornyn of Texas
Senator Tom Cotton of Arkansas
Senator Joni Ernst of Iowa
Senator Josh Hawley of Missouri
Senator James Lankford of Oklahoma
Senator Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming
Minority Leader Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky
Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska
Senator Marco Rubio of Florida
Senator Rick Scott of Florida
Senator Todd Young of Indiana

That's a lot of Senators besides Cassidy.

Most of these are Senators who just haven't endorsed yet, not affirmatively rejected Trump or supporting non-Trump candidates. Like, Joni Ernst and Katie Britt are probably literally on Trump's VP shortlist. They're definitely coming around.

EDIT: You mention both Florida Senators. Have you noticed that neither one of them endorsed the Governor of Florida?

[Tekken_Guy]

Here are the sitting Republican Senators who have already declined to endorse DONALD TRUMP:

Senator Katie Britt of Alabama
Senator Susan Collins of Maine
Senator John Cornyn of Texas
Senator Tom Cotton of Arkansas
Senator Joni Ernst of Iowa
Senator Josh Hawley of Missouri
Senator James Lankford of Oklahoma
Senator Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming
Minority Leader Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky
Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska
Senator Marco Rubio of Florida
Senator Rick Scott of Florida
Senator Todd Young of Indiana

That's a lot of Senators besides Cassidy.

Most of these are Senators who just haven't endorsed yet, not affirmatively rejected Trump or supporting non-Trump candidates. Like, Joni Ernst and Katie Britt are probably literally on Trump's VP shortlist. They're definitely coming around.

I don’t see Ernst or Britt endorse Trump until he’s the nominee, and both are way more likely to be the running mate of someone like DeSantis or Scott than Trump. Ernst is probably in line with the rest of the IA delegation with not openly embracing Trump, and if Britt wanted to endorse Trump she would have done so during his big Alabama endorsement rollout last month.

[emailking]

He voted to convict him for Jan 6 so that's consistent.

[2016]

Here are the sitting Senators btw who have endorsed Trump:

Senator Tommy Tuberville of Alabama
Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith of Mississippi
Senator Eric Schmitt of Missouri
NRSC Chair Senator Steve Daines of Montana
Senator Tedd Budd of North Carolina
Senator Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma
Senator J. D. Vance of Ohio
Senator Bill Hagerty of Tennessee
Senator Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee
Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina

The GOP Senate Caucus has 49 Members, only 10 have endorsed Trump. Speaks Volumes, doesn't it?

And aside from Hyde-Smith and Blackburn no one who endorsed him is up for Re-Election for 2024.

[The Mikado]

And aside from Hyde-Smith and Blackburn no one who endorsed him is up for Re-Election for 2024.

Meanwhile, endorsed against Trump:

Cramer and Hoeven of North Dakota (home state governor Burgum...why can't DeSantis get this, huh?)

Minority Whip John Thune of South Dakota (Tim Scott)

Tim Scott (Tim Scott, duh).

That's 10 for Trump, 4 for someone else, and 35 on the sidelines. If R Senators actually wanted to stop Trump, wouldn't they be supporting a non-Trump candidate rather than sitting around doing nothing?

That's the problem with your movement: no one in it has the balls to actually say out loud that this candidate here is a better Presidential candidate than Donald Trump. The most you'll get is grousing that the Party really should find someone better, but no names. Never any names. Like I said about Todd Young of Indiana the other day, saying someone other than Trump is worthless. Name names or shut up.

[2016]

And aside from Hyde-Smith and Blackburn no one who endorsed him is up for Re-Election for 2024.

Meanwhile, endorsed against Trump:

Cramer and Hoeven of North Dakota (home state governor Burgum...why can't DeSantis get this, huh?)

Minority Whip John Thune of South Dakota (Tim Scott)

Tim Scott (Tim Scott, duh).

That's 10 for Trump, 4 for someone else, and 35 on the sidelines. If R Senators actually wanted to stop Trump, wouldn't they be supporting a non-Trump candidate rather than sitting around doing nothing?

That's the problem with your movement: no one in it has the balls to actually say out loud that this candidate here is a better Presidential candidate than Donald Trump. The most you'll get is grousing that the Party really should find someone better, but no names. Never any names. Like I said about Todd Young of Indiana the other day, saying someone other than Trump is worthless. Name names or shut up.

First, it's not my Movement. I never ever was for Trump in the first place and only supported him in 2016 & 2020 out of necessity because I did not want Hillary to turn the SCOTUS liberal.

They are simply waiting on the Debates and will endorse much later in the Primary Process. Thus far there hasn't been a clear cut choice among Anti-Trump Republicans whom to support. Like Chris Sununu said the other Day after IA and NH the choice who will carry the Anti-Trump Banner will be clear.

I believe the Polls are all wrong. They are overestimating Trumps Support. Biden could even potentially win Iowa in the GE because of Trumps consistent insults towards Reynolds.

[South Dakota Democrat]

And aside from Hyde-Smith and Blackburn no one who endorsed him is up for Re-Election for 2024.

Meanwhile, endorsed against Trump:

Cramer and Hoeven of North Dakota (home state governor Burgum...why can't DeSantis get this, huh?)

Minority Whip John Thune of South Dakota (Tim Scott)

Tim Scott (Tim Scott, duh).

That's 10 for Trump, 4 for someone else, and 35 on the sidelines. If R Senators actually wanted to stop Trump, wouldn't they be supporting a non-Trump candidate rather than sitting around doing nothing?

That's the problem with your movement: no one in it has the balls to actually say out loud that this candidate here is a better Presidential candidate than Donald Trump. The most you'll get is grousing that the Party really should find someone better, but no names. Never any names. Like I said about Todd Young of Indiana the other day, saying someone other than Trump is worthless. Name names or shut up.

Rounds also endorsed Tim Scott.

[Alben Barkley]

“I mean, you’re just asking me my opinion. But he will lose to Joe Biden, if you look at the current polls,” he told CNN’s Kasie Hunt on “State of the Union.”

I wish I was that confident.

[WalterWhite]

Who is going to tell him that Trump is the only primary candidate who can brand himself as a moderate? Abortion and Social Security are not going to hurt Trump as much as other candidates because of this ability to brand himself as a moderate. DeSantis' hit due to his perceived extremism on abortion and Social Security would be far greater than Trump's hit due to his legal troubles. Ultimately, voters care more about tangible issues (e.g. abortion and Social Security) than moral character.

[2016]

Who is going to tell him that Trump is the only primary candidate who can brand himself as a moderate? Abortion and Social Security are not going to hurt Trump as much as other candidates because of this ability to brand himself as a moderate. DeSantis' hit due to his perceived extremism on abortion and Social Security would be far greater than Trump's hit due to his legal troubles. Ultimately, voters care more about tangible issues (e.g. abortion and Social Security) than moral character.

If Trump is convicted you might have to eat your words right here. The vast Majority of Independents, Suburban Voters and Moderate Republicans ain't going to vote for a convicted felon.

Tim Scott is probably the most electable Candidate out there now at the moment.

[Shaula🏳️‍⚧️]

Here are the sitting Republican Senators who have already declined to endorse DONALD TRUMP:

Senator Katie Britt of Alabama
Senator Susan Collins of Maine
Senator John Cornyn of Texas
Senator Tom Cotton of Arkansas
Senator Joni Ernst of Iowa
Senator Josh Hawley of Missouri
Senator James Lankford of Oklahoma
Senator Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming
Minority Leader Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky
Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska
Senator Marco Rubio of Florida
Senator Rick Scott of Florida
Senator Todd Young of Indiana

That's a lot of Senators besides Cassidy.

Most of these are Senators who just haven't endorsed yet, not affirmatively rejected Trump or supporting non-Trump candidates. Like, Joni Ernst and Katie Britt are probably literally on Trump's VP shortlist. They're definitely coming around.

EDIT: You mention both Florida Senators. Have you noticed that neither one of them endorsed the Governor of Florida?

Not Ernst. She's a McConnell ally who is very much a neocon who disagrees with Trump on many issues.