In the Bayou State's 2026 U.S. Senate contest, R-La. John Fleming, the Louisiana state treasurer aiming to unseat Sen. Bill Cassidy, attacked the incumbent as a “Rino Republican” in an interview with Fox News Digital. Abbreviates the phrase “Republican names only.”
Fleming, who served as a U.S. congressman from early 2009 to early 2017, was one of the founding members of the conservative House Freedom Caucus.
He ran unsuccessfully for the U.S. Senate in 2016 and held several positions during the first Donald Trump administration. In 2023, with Trump's support, he won election to serve as Pelican State Treasurer.
When asked by Fox News Digital to name the congressmen, he mostly lines up ideologically, Fleming said, including GOP officials Jim Jordan of Ohio, Scott Perry of Pennsylvania, and Maryland's I mentioned House Freedom Caucus Chairman Andy Harris, and Senshu Senshu Cruz of Texas, Texas. Mike Lee of Utah.
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Louisiana Treasurer John Fleming speaks in an interview with Fox News Digital. R-LA. Senator Bill Cassidy attends a press conference at the US Capitol on August 5, 2022 in Washington, DC (Fox News Digital | Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
When asked if there were any federal departments or entities he would like to see completely abolished, Fleming said that if there were any federal departments or entities he thought should be eliminated, “first on my list would be the Department of Education.” “I'm deaf,” he answered.
Regarding the debt ceiling, he said that if he were in office, he would “leverage” the rise in debt to reduce spending, adding, “I don't think we should raise the debt ceiling.”
Fleming has indicated that he supports foreign aid in some cases.
“I believe in some degree of foreign aid, especially military foreign aid, when it is in the best interest of the American people,” he noted, suggesting the U.S. should help Taiwan and Israel. did.
Fleming said America needs to be “careful” in getting involved in foreign affairs. Pointing to Afghanistan and Iraq, he said, “It looks like we're winning the war, but we're losing the peace.”
Fleming indicated that he supports the ban on TikTok that was passed last year. Because he “doesn't believe it would be wise to allow the Chinese or other foreign powers, or even our own government, to spy on us through social media.” , said social media platforms should be banned until they are no longer under the influence of China's Communist Party government.
Pro-Trump attacks each Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy aimed at ousting Bill Cassidy by founding member of the Freedom Caucus
Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, speaks at a campaign rally for U.S. Senate candidates in Louisiana at Drusilla Seafood Restaurant on November 6, 2016 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. . (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call)
In Louisiana's jungle primary system, candidates from different parties play against each other and if a candidate receives a majority, they win election to the role, but if no candidate receives a majority, the top two Human finishers compete in spills.
When Cassidy ran in 2014, he placed second in a field that included seven other candidates and advanced to the runoff, which Cassidy won, along with incumbent Democratic Sen. Mary Land Drew.
When Cassidy was re-elected in 2020, he won a majority, avoided a runoff, and defeated a field of more than a dozen other candidates.
Cassidy was one of seven GOP senators who voted to convict President Trump after the 2021 house arrest in the wake of the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. Trump was already in office by the time of the February Senate vote. And the number of senators who voted to convict ultimately fell short of the threshold needed for conviction.
During an appearance on CNN in 2023 that the outlet shared on social media, Cassidy said he thought Trump should drop out of the presidential contest, but the congressman said this decision belonged to Trump. Public opinion poll at the time.
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After Trump became the presumptive GOP presidential nominee last year, Kristin Welker asked Cassidy on “Meet the Press” if she supported Trump. The senator responded by saying he planned to vote for a Republican for president.
Cassidy in June promised to work with Trump if the candidate returned to the White House.
“I just met with my colleagues and President Trump. I have been selected to serve the state of Louisiana and the United States of America. I am committed to working with President Trump if he is the next president. It will be better for everyone.” the senator said in a statement at the time.
Ranking Member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, R-La. Sen. Bill Cassidy speaks at a hearing on Thursday, September 12, 2024 in Washington, DC. (Ting Shen/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
He congratulated Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance on their inauguration earlier this week.
“Today, Americans are winning again. Republicans are going to secure our borders, unlock American energy, and protect American manufacturing,” he said in a statement. “Congratulations to President Trump and Vice President Vance. Let's get to work! ”
The congressman, who has served in the U.S. Senate for more than a decade, previously served in the U.S. House of Representatives.
When the senator sought re-election in 2020, Trump endorsed Cassidy, praising him for his support of America's great agenda and his “outstanding” work on behalf of Louisianans and Americans as a whole. I was grateful for that.
“Thank you @billcassidy for all of your support on the #maga agenda. You are doing an outstanding job representing the people of Louisiana and America,” Trump declared in the post.
In a statement to Fox News Digital, a spokesperson for the Cassidy campaign said of Fleming, “He came in fifth place when he ran for Senate in 2016 and currently has $500,000 in campaign debt.” Ta.
According to a press release from the Cassidy campaign, the senator “raised an additional $1 million in the reelection, leadership, and joint fundraising committees in the fourth quarter of 2024, bringing the campaign to more than $6.5 million.”
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The Fleming campaign responded to Cassidy's spokesperson's comments in a statement to Fox News Digital.
“I personally owe 100% of my Senate campaign loans to Treasurer Fleming,” Fleming’s campaign said. “In terms of placement, Sen Cassidy ran against weak Republicans and politically entangled Democrats who voted for Obamacare among others. And he had the support of the entire Republican Party.”
“Treasurer Fleming ran in an open seat against 23 opponents from all political parties, some of whom divided his political base both geographically and ideologically.” the statement continued. “Senator John Kennedy ultimately won Fleming's Senate race. He is also the state treasurer of Louisiana and has run for the Senate before, as Fleming is now. Really important at this point. Nanoha, Senator Cassidy is the second e ach vote to convict President Trump in the first term. If Trump is convicted, it would be unlikely to re-elect Trump, except for Biden's second term. Or it would lead to President Kamala Harris.”
