Bill Cassidy is already fending off attacks from a 2026 primary challenger who says the senator is not sufficiently pro-Trump. His votes on Donald Trump’s nominees will be the first test of how he handles them.
Former Rep. John Fleming, Cassidy’s most prominent challenger, told NOTUS he is running ads urging the senator to confirm Trump’s cabinet picks. Cassidy will play an important role in scrutinizing Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as the potential head of the Department of Health and Human Services. With confirmation hearings set to begin soon, the senator has refused to say whether or not he’ll support the controversial Trump pick.
“I think for nominees, throughout my Senate career, it’s been one step at a time,” Cassidy, who is a medical doctor, told reporters last week after what he called a “good conversation” with Kennedy.