Sen. Cassidy says Trump docs case ‘almost a slam dunk’

Sen. Bill Cassidy described the federal case against former President Donald Trump over his retention of classified national security documents as “almost a slam dunk” on Sunday — and for a second time urged the Republican front-runner to drop out of the 2024 race.

The Louisiana Republican, who voted to convict Trump following the 45th president’s impeachment over his attempts to reverse his 2020 electoral loss, said the 40-count indictment brought against him in South Florida by special counsel Jack Smith was “a very strong case.”

“They have a tape recording of him speaking of it,” Cassidy told CNN’s “State of the Union.” “If that is proven, then we may have a candidate for president who has been convicted of a crime.”

“I think [President] Joe Biden needs to be replaced, but I don’t think Americans will vote for someone who’s been convicted,” added Cassidy. “So, I’m just very sorry about how all this is playing out.”

Trump, 77, is currently facing 91 criminal counts in two federal cases, one state case and one municipal case — amounting to a maximum sentence of 712 years and six months if he is convicted on all charges.

Smith and Atlanta prosecutor Fani Willis have indicted Trump in Washington, DC, and Fulton County, Ga., respectively, for his attempts to remain in power following his defeat by Biden.

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg indicted Trump on 34 counts of business fraud in March for allegedly falsifying records to conceal hush money payments to porn star Stormy Daniels so that she would keep quiet about an alleged decade-old affair before the 2016 election

“Do you think that Donald Trump should drop out of the race?” CNN host Kasie Hunt asked the senator.

“I think so. But, obviously, that’s up to him. I mean, you’re just asking me my opinion,” Cassidy replied. “But he will lose to Joe Biden, if you look at the current polls.”

A Nexstar Media/Emerson College poll conducted after the Georgia indictment was returned Aug. 14 found Trump trouncing his Republican opponents — with 75% of Louisiana Republicans supporting him as the 2024 GOP nominee.

He was followed by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (10%), former vice President Mike Pence (2%), entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy (1%), South Carolina GOP Sen. Tim Scott (1%) and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (1%).

DeSantis, Pence, Ramaswamy, Scott and Christie have met the Republican National Committee’s donor and polling requirements to take part in the party’s first debate in Milwaukee, Wis., on Wednesday.

Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum have also met the RNC donor and polling threshold. All seven candidates have signed a pledge to support the eventual GOP nominee.

The RNC required candidates to have 40,000 individual donors to their campaigns and attain at least 1% support in three national polls or 1% in one national poll and 1% in two polls from the early voting states of Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina.

“I’m a Republican. 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,” Cassidy also told CNN’s Hunt on Sunday.

“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, to a loss of purchasing power for the average American equivalent to $10,000, and to many other things which I think have been deleterious to our country’s future.”

Asked whether he would vote for Biden or another Democrat over Trump, Cassidy said flatly, “I’m going to vote for a Republican.”

However, the 65-year-old said neither candidate has secured his vote because of their mishandling of America’s Social Security system, which he said will be “insolvent in eight to nine years.”

On Sunday, Trump posted to Truth Social that he would not attend the Aug. 23 debate, citing a new CBS poll showing that 62% of likely Republican primary voters support his candidacy.

“New CBS POLL, just out, has me leading the field by “legendary” numbers. TRUMP 62%, 46 Points above DeSanctimonious (who is crashing like an ailing bird!), Ramaswamy 7%, Pence 5%, Scott 3%, Haley 2%, Sloppy Chris Christie 2%, “Aida” Hutchinson 1%,” the former president said.

“The public knows who I am & what a successful Presidency I had, with Energy Independence, Strong Borders & Military, Biggest EVER Tax & Regulation Cuts, No Inflation, Strongest Economy in History, & much more. I WILL THEREFORE NOT BE DOING THE DEBATES!”

Trump committed earlier to doing an interview with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson for his show on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Cassidy told Hunt on Sunday that “the debate matters” and one of its participants “quite likely will be the presidential nominee.”

“And I think any of them will be better than Joe Biden,” he added. “So, if you’re concerned about the future of our country, watch that debate, find your candidate, support that candidate.”

In addition to anti-Trump GOP presidential candidates such as former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, Senate Minority Whip John Thune (R-SD) and Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) have urged their conference to move on from Trump. Thune has endorsed Scott for president in 2024.

Other ex-Trump administration officials, like former national security adviser John Bolton, have also called on their former boss to leave the primary.