Rolfe McCollister: Did Bill Cassidy lose his political gambit?

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Sen. Bill Cassidy has been in the national political game for 12 years. When Cassidy ran for reelection in 2020, he sought and received President Donald Trump’s support. After winning, he was one of seven Republican senators who voted to convict Trump. Many admired his stand, even if they disagreed. But the MAGA crowd has never forgiven him.

In 2023, Jeff Landry, then a MAGA candidate for governor, got Cassidy’s endorsement. It surprised many but was seen as a purely political move to get in the governor’s and MAGA’s good graces before the 2026 election. Bad move.

In 2024, Cassidy suggested Trump drop out of the presidential race and did not endorse him. But after Trump won, he quickly became a team player, backing all of Trump’s nominees—including the controversial Robert Kennedy Jr. It was another move seen as pure gamesmanship, further upsetting supporters. He may have thought his blind loyalty had mended fences with Trump. Not!

Despite Cassidy’s bending of the knee, Trump, with Landry’s prodding, has endorsed Rep. Julia Letlow just four months before the first Republican primary in Louisiana. This game has gotten intense.

I figure Cassidy thought, with his smooth moves, he had this game in hand. But I wonder what lessons he learned—and whether he has regrets about how he played the game with Trump and Landry. Cassidy may think he got screwed, but Trump may have felt the same. Some of Cassidy’s supporters feel he compromised his principles and let them down. For what?

With a Landry endorsement of Letlow almost certain to follow Trump’s, it’s worth noting that both demand blind loyalty. That fact has many worrying if Letlow will be cornered into sacrificing her independence.

Now comes the campaign, which is certain to get ugly between Cassidy and Letlow—not to mention State Treasurer John Fleming, who previously announced. Trump and Landry believe they have the upper hand, but with only four months and far less money, Letlow has a mountain to climb. The race is for second place to Cassidy, in my mind, and a runoff. Where will MAGA go? What about independents or moderate Republicans? Who will show up?

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