Donald Trump’s decision to endorse a Republican candidate to run against Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) has resulted in the president facing off with Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD).
On Saturday night, seemingly out of nowhere, Trump threw his support behind Rep. Julia Letlow (R-LA) to go after Cassidy’s seat, despite the fact she had not entered the race.
Appearing on MS NOW’s “Way too Early” with host Ali Vitali, Max Cohen of Punchbowl News reported that Thune made his displeasure with the challenge known — and informed the president it could blow up in his face.
“Max, this really did send shock waves, especially because, as would be typical, Republicans should protect Republican incumbents,” Vitali prompted her guest. “And yet in Trump's Washington, if you've ever been against him, he will now come in against you, I guess, is the lesson.”
“One hundred percent,” Cohen agreed. “And this really puts the top Senate Republican John Thune, at odds with President Donald Trump at a time when that's pretty tricky, given the tight margins in the Senate and how some Senate Republicans have voted against President Donald Trump recently.”
“And Thune actually spoke to President Trump over the weekend and said, Mr. President, I don't agree with this, especially when Bill Cassidy, if he's now spurned, could be a deciding vote on some key issues,” he added.“But this really was a remarkable, I want to say, betrayal because Cassidy, as you mentioned, had voted for impeachment,” he elaborated.
“But considering how much Bill Cassidy had done in the past couple of months to endear himself to President Trump, the fact that Trump just sent out this endorsement message before Letlow was even in the race just shows you how much Donald Trump thinks about these impeachment votes and how much he does not forget.”
Politico reported late Sunday that Letlow, with Trump's endorsement, is expected to announce her run sometime Monday.