WASHINGTON (AP) 鈥� Returning to the U.S. Capitol after a stinging primary , Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana said Monday evening that he has no regrets about his 鈥渕omentous鈥� vote to convict President Donald Trump on impeachment charges five years ago.
鈥淚 voted to uphold the Constitution. It may have cost me my seat, but who cares?鈥� Cassidy told reporters in the Capitol. 鈥淚 had the privilege of voting to uphold the Constitution, isn鈥檛 that a great thing?鈥�
Cassidy lost his seat in his state鈥檚 Republican primary Saturday after , and after years of trying to convince his voters that he was even though he had in a Senate impeachment trial after the .
But after years of curtly dodging questions about his impeachment vote 鈥� and often saying nothing at all when pressed in the Capitol hallways 鈥� Cassidy now says he feels 鈥済reat.鈥�
鈥淵ou鈥檙e looking at a man who loves his country, who feels very, very good about how I serve my country and my Constitution and my fellow Americans,鈥� Cassidy said. “Wouldn鈥檛 all of us want to say, I voted to support the Constitution on something momentous? That鈥檚 the way I feel about it. I鈥檓 very pleased about it.鈥�
He now joins a club of Republican lawmakers who have crossed Trump and lost. It remains unclear whether he will join GOP colleagues like North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis, who has become more outspoken since he announced his retirement last year. Cassidy wouldn鈥檛 directly criticize Trump on Monday evening, saying that 鈥減eople want me to say negative things, but I鈥檓 saying positive things.鈥�
Still, he did hint that he may have more to say, telling reporters he is undecided on how he will vote on the next Democratic measure to halt the Iran war and criticizing a new nearly who believe they have been unjustly investigated and persecuted 鈥� potentially including people who were prosecuted and later pardoned for their roles in the Jan. 6 Capitol attack.
Cassidy’s Senate colleagues respond with stony silence
As Cassidy reflected on his two terms in the Senate, his GOP colleagues still loyal to Trump were mostly quiet or dispassionate about his loss.
鈥淏ill鈥檚 loss was predictable, and Bill knew it,鈥� said his Louisiana colleague, Republican Sen. John Kennedy.
Kennedy said Cassidy decided to run anyway, 鈥渁nd I respect that, and I thank him for his service. We鈥檙e running on to a runoff now and we鈥檝e got two fine people in the runoff.鈥�
Cassidy’s vote to convict Trump five years ago 鈥渨as an issue, there鈥檚 no question,鈥� Kennedy said.
South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, one of Trump鈥檚 closest allies, said on NBC鈥檚 鈥淢eet the Press鈥� Sunday that 鈥渢hose who try to destroy Trump politically, stand in the way of his agenda, are going to lose.鈥�
Trump agreed, posting over the weekend on social media that 鈥渋t鈥檚 nice to see that his political career is OVER!鈥�
Only Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski, one of six other Republicans who voted to convict Trump in his second impeachment trial, said she regrets that Cassidy won鈥檛 be returning to the Senate.
His defeat 鈥渃ertainly has implications for us here,鈥� she said. 鈥淚鈥檝e appreciated working with him and his leadership.鈥�
Cassidy’s path since impeachment has been fraught
Until Saturday, Cassidy was also silent on most controversies involving Trump. And he worked hard to show that he was supportive of the president, most significantly by eventually even after questioning Kennedy鈥檚 skepticism of vaccines. As a doctor and the chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, Cassidy鈥檚 vote was crucial.
Cassidy wouldn鈥檛 say Monday if he regretted that vote. He compared the vote to a bad date in high school and said 鈥渓ife is lived forward.鈥�
He was more outspoken about Trump鈥檚 new 鈥渁nti-weaponization fund,鈥� which is part of a settlement that resolves the president’s lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service over the leak of his tax returns.
While other Republicans dodged questions on the fund as they returned to Washington on Monday evening, telling reporters they didn鈥檛 know enough about it or just declining to weigh in, Cassidy said he doesn鈥檛 see any precedent for it.
鈥淲e are a nation of laws,鈥� Cassidy said. 鈥淵ou can鈥檛 just make up things.鈥�
Congress should have a say, he said, adding that people he met on the campaign trail 鈥渁re concerned about making their own ends meet, not about putting the slush fund together without a legal precedent.鈥�
Cassidy says he is 鈥榓t peace鈥� with his vote, but it followed him
Cassidy鈥檚 support for Trump’s conviction in the February 2021 impeachment trial was a surprise, after the mild-mannered doctor had been mostly supportive of 鈥� or at least reluctant to challenge 鈥� Trump through his first term. He wrestled with how to vote for days beforehand and declined to comment on the trial before casting his vote.
He was one of seven Republicans to vote to convict as the Senate eventually . The only other two remaining in the Senate are Murkowski and Maine Sen. Susan Collins, who is up for reelection as well in her much more moderate state.
Cassidy said after the vote in 2021 that he was 鈥渁t peace鈥� with his decision. But it dogged him for the full five years, and became much more of an issue when Trump was reelected and Cassidy was running again.
When asked Monday if he would run for office again, Cassidy made a subtle dig at Trump鈥檚 efforts to overturn his 2020 presidential election loss and his false claims that led to the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol by his supporters.
鈥淚 respect democracy,鈥� Cassidy said. 鈥淪o right now that door just seems to be shut.鈥�
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Associated Press writers Steven Sloan, Joey Cappelletti and Stephen Groves contributed to this report.
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