Donald Trump should quit presidential race, says Republic senator Bill Cassidy
Donald Trump "will lose to Joe Biden if you look at the current polls," says US Senate Republican
August 21, 2023
A well-known Republican Senator Bill Cassidy Sunday suggested that Donald Trump better withdraw from the 2024 Republican presidential race, claiming the former president would not be able to defeat Democratic President Joe Biden in a general election.
During the former president's second impeachment trial in 2021, Senator Bill Cassidy, one of the seven Senate Republicans who voted to convict Trump, called the federal documents case against him "almost a slam dunk."
He also cautioned that Americans would not elect someone who had been convicted of a felony as president.
While talking to CNN, the Louisiana Republican, when asked if Trump should drop out of the presidential race, said: "I think so. But, obviously, that's up to him. I mean, you're just asking me my opinion. But he will lose to Joe Biden if you look at the current polls."
A Republican with a reputation for working across party lines, Cassidy played an important role in drafting a $1 trillion infrastructure programme in 2021.
Despite escalating legal issues, including four criminal indictments, one of which relates to his handling of US sensitive documents after leaving the White House in 2021, Trump continues to dominate the Republican field for president.
"We may have a candidate for president who has been convicted of a crime. I think Joe Biden needs to be replaced but I don't think Americans will vote for someone who's been convicted. So, I'm just very sorry about how all this is playing out," Cassidy said.
In the most recent Reuters/Ipsos poll released this month, Trump held 47% of the Republican vote nationally, with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis dropping six percentage points from July down to just 13%.
The other candidates expected to participate in the first-party primary debate on Wednesday have not exceeded single digits in support.
Meanwhile, Trump is anticipated to skip the debate and participate in a web chat with Tucker Carlson, a former Fox News personality.
