{"id":2574633,"date":"2026-02-28T06:45:02","date_gmt":"2026-02-28T11:45:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/trump-nominee-presents-latest-challenge-for-gops-bill-cassidy\/"},"modified":"2026-02-28T06:48:24","modified_gmt":"2026-02-28T11:48:24","slug":"trump-nominee-presents-latest-challenge-for-gops-bill-cassidy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/trump-nominee-presents-latest-challenge-for-gops-bill-cassidy\/","title":{"rendered":"Trump nominee presents latest challenge for GOP&#8217;s Bill Cassidy"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">18<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Ftrump-nominee-presents-latest-challenge-for-gops-bill-cassidy%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2574633&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) faces a political dilemma over President Trump\u2019s nominee for Surgeon General, Dr. Casey Means, as he weighs how to handle her confirmation in a closely divided Senate health Committee. Means, a physician-turned-wellness influencer and ally of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., has <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >drawn bipartisan skepticism<\/a> over her vaccine views, potential questions about vaccine-autism links, and whether she woudl push vaccines or abortion-access policies if confirmed. Cassidy, who chairs the committee, holds the power to withhold a vote if he believes she lacks sufficient GOP support, a stance echoed by fellow Republicans Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski.<\/p>\n<p>Means has sought to reassure lawmakers by stressing that vaccines save lives and that vaccine advocacy is not part of her agenda, but she has dodged several questions about her stance on vaccines and autism and she does not currently hold an active medical license. the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/nprs-ceo-expresses-regret-for-labeling-trump-a-racist-and-acknowledges-errors-in-the-coverage-of-hunter-biden\/\" title=\"NPR&#039;s CEO expresses regret for labeling Trump a &#039;racist&#039; and acknowledges errors in the coverage of Hunter Biden\">hearing highlighted broader tensions<\/a> within the party about vaccine policy and Kennedy\u2019s influence. Trump\u2019s endorsement, once a looming factor for Cassidy, no longer appears to dictate his tactics, and Cassidy has continued to campaign as though aligned with the president. The nomination\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/putins-war-in-ukraine-is-brutal-it-looks-like-the-crimean-war\/\" title=\"Putin\u2019s War in Ukraine Is Brutal \u2013 It Looks Like the Crimean War\">fate remains uncertain<\/a> as Louisiana primary voters weigh in on May 16, with the outcome potentially steadfast by how the committee vote splits along party lines.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Cassidy&rsquo;s crossroads: Trump nominee presents latest challenge for GOP senator<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_2516286\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>Sen. <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/bill-cassidy\/\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/bill-cassidy\/\">Bill Cassidy<\/a> (R-LA) is facing his latest dilemma over President <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/donald-trump\/\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/donald-trump\/\">Donald Trump&rsquo;s<\/a> nominees, this&nbsp;time&nbsp;with the&nbsp;<a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/3404409\/trump-pulls-nomination-dr-janette-nesheiwat-surgeon-general\/\">candidate for surgeon general<\/a>, as the fate of his political future draws near.<\/p>\n<p>The Senate health committee chairman is wrestling with <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/opinion\/3407026\/casey-means-surgeon-general-as-spiritual-guru\/\">Casey Means&rsquo;<\/a>&nbsp;quest to become the nation&rsquo;s next top doctor over her vaccine views, just as he did before supporting her ally, <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/robert-f-kennedy-jr\/\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/robert-f-kennedy-jr\/\">Robert F. Kennedy Jr.<\/a>, despite deep misgivings over the health and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/supreme-court-case-offers-trump-path-to-dismantle-obamacare-mandates-washington-examiner\/\" title=\"Supreme Court case offers Trump path to dismantle Obamacare mandates ... Washington Examiner\">human services secretary&#038;rsquo<\/a>;s vaccine stances. But now, the prospect of Trump&rsquo;s endorsement no longer hangs over Cassidy.<\/p>\n<div class=\"recommended-stories\">\n<h2>Recommended Stories<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/4474940\/democrat-age-debate-al-green-texas-house-primary\/\">Democrats&#8217; age debate comes for Al Green in competitive Texas House primary<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/4474938\/kamala-harris-records-robocall-jasmine-crockett-texas-senate-primary\/\">Kamala Harris records robocall for Jasmine Crockett in last<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/kamala-harris-endorses-jasmine-crockett-for-texas-senate\/\" title=\"Kamala Harris endorses Jasmine Crockett for Texas ...ate\">-ditch effort ahead<\/a> of Texas Senate primary<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/4474158\/trump-heads-texas-ahead-of-heated-gop-primary-no-plans-endorse\/\">Trump arrives in Texas ahead of heated GOP primary with no plans to endorse<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>&ldquo;At this point, Bill Cassidy owes Donald Trump nothing,&rdquo; said <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/roestrategic.llc\/jroebio\">Jason Roe<\/a>, a veteran Republican strategist who worked for the presidential campaigns of Mitt Romney and Marco Rubio. &ldquo;There&rsquo;s no reward for standing by the president on a controversial vote.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Cassidy, recently passed over by Trump for Rep. Julia Letlow (R-LA) in a contested primary, is far from the only committee member to express concerns during Means&rsquo; recent intense confirmation hearing. So too did centrist Sens. <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/susan-collins\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"1302\">Susan Collins<\/a> (R-ME) and <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/lisa-murkowski\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"2303\">Lisa Murkowski<\/a> (R-AK), and dissension from any one Republican on the panel could spell doom for the nominee.<\/p>\n<p>Unique to Cassidy, he holds the power to withhold a vote altogether, should it be determined that Means lacks the GOP support to advance to the full Senate. As chairman of the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, the second-term senator was crucial to Kennedy&rsquo;s confirmation but has since repeatedly criticized the Cabinet member&rsquo;s vaccine policy changes, as have Collins and Murkowski.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;m not sure I know what you&rsquo;re advocating for, which of course gives pause,&rdquo; Cassidy, a liver specialist and gastroenterologist, said at one point during Means&rsquo;s hearing as she danced around the subject of promoting <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/vaccines\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"259\">child vaccinations<\/a>.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Dr. Casey Means takes her seat at the start of a Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pension Committee confirmation hearing for U.S. Surgeon General on Capitol Hill, Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo\/Tom Brenner)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>&ldquo;I want to back up and broadly just reassure you that this is not an issue that I intend to complicate or bring an agenda on vaccines,&rdquo; Means said, at another point adding, &ldquo;vaccine advocacy or any anti-vaccine rhetoric has never been a part of my message.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Means is an ally of Kennedy and a doctor-turned-wellness-influencer with a popular following in the &ldquo;Make America Healthy Again&rdquo; movement. She&rsquo;s facing bipartisan skepticism over not ruling out a link to vaccines and autism, sidestepping questions on using her would-be power to encourage vaccines against measles, hepatitis B, and the flu, and lacking an active medical license. Means also dodged whether access to abortion drugs should be available without an in-person office visit, but said &ldquo;oral contraception should be widely accessible.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Cassidy did not provide a comment for this story on his position on Means.<\/p>\n<p>Seeking to alleviate concerns while walking a political tightrope not to contradict Kennedy or the administration&rsquo;s controversial alterations to longstanding health and vaccine recommendations, Means repeatedly affirmed that &ldquo;vaccines save lives.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Committee Chair Senator Bill Cassidy R-La. holds his head as Dr. Casey Means testifies during a Senate Health, Education Labor and Pension Committee confirmation hearing for U.S. Surgeon General on Capitol Hill Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo\/Tom Brenner)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Trump&rsquo;s endorsement of Letlow hasn&rsquo;t stopped Cassidy from campaigning as though he has the president&rsquo;s backing, whom he voted to convict of impeachment after the 2021 U.S. Capitol attack.<\/p>\n<p>  Cassidy said in a statement after Trump&rsquo;s recent State of the Union address that he&rsquo;s &ldquo;worked with President Trump to deliver real results.&rdquo; A separate campaign release, headlined &ldquo;Trump Cracks Down On Liberal Letlow&rsquo;s Insider Trading,&rdquo; misleadingly suggested Trump was singling out <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nola.com\/news\/politics\/julia-letlow-stock-trades-congress\/article_f0337fd1-f316-4037-bc49-a917e789b836.html\">Letlow&rsquo;s stock trading disclosure violations<\/a> by endorsing legislation during his speech to ban lawmakers and certain family members from buying stocks. <\/p>\n<p>For Cassidy&rsquo;s part, Collins and Murkowski are <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/news\/2026\/02\/26\/surgeon-general-casey-means-vaccines-nomination-rfk-00801331\">undecided on advancing<\/a> Means&rsquo; nomination, a vote for which has not been scheduled. Given the committee&rsquo;s split, a unanimous Democratic opposition would mean any Republican could torpedo Means.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/4471909\/takeaways-hearing-surgeon-general-nominee-casey-means\/\">TAKEAWAYS FROM THE INTENSE HEARING WITH TRUMP SURGEON GENERAL NOMINEE CASEY MEANS<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The fate of her nomination will be played out by the time Cassidy&rsquo;s political future is determined by <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/louisiana\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"529\">Louisiana <\/a>primary voters on May 16.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I think Trump endorsing against him liberates him from reelection politics, and at this point, he&rsquo;s free to do whatever he likes,&rdquo; said Roe, the GOP strategist. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s much easier to stick to your principles when you&rsquo;re liberated from the political calculation.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Cassidy battles Trump pick Casey Means in Senate panel<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3108,"featured_media":2574634,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/AP26056607657579.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[74784,6203,73487,74783],"class_list":["post-2574633","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-bill-cassidy-2","tag-gop","tag-primary-election-2","tag-trump-nominee-2"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/AP26056607657579.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2574633","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3108"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2574633"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2574633\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2574637,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2574633\/revisions\/2574637"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2574634"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2574633"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2574633"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2574633"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}