Republican Louisiana Sen. Bill Cassidy flipped his war powers vote Wednesday night just hours after Trump administration officials pulled him into the Situation Room.
Cassidy was briefed in the Situation Room by Vice President JD Vance and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff on Iran, prompting him to change his vote against the war powers resolution later that night. The briefing came after Cassidy got into a shouting match with President Donald Trump over Iran during a heated, closed-door lunch on Capitol Hill, where several senators clashed with the president. (RELATED: ‘Cluster F*ck’: Trump’s Dramatic Feud With Senate Republicans Boils Over)
“I want to thank Vice President Vance and Special Envoy Witkoff for the thorough briefing this afternoon on Iran,” Cassidy said in a post on X. “I appreciate the quick invitation to the White House to address many of my concerns.”
This is a stark contrast to Cassidy’s remarks following lunch, when he said, “I’m not going to be bullied when I’m trying to get answers for the American people.”
Cassidy has been on offense ever since he lost his primary to Trump-endorsed challenger Julia Letlow in May. Cassidy finished in third place with 24.8% despite being the incumbent Republican senator.
WASHINGTON, DC – SEPTEMBER 17: Chairman Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) arrives for a hearing of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions in the Dirksen Senate Office Building on September 17, 2025 in Washington, DC. The committee is hearing testimony from fired CDC employees and the implications on children’s health. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
Cassidy is not the only senator to change his tune on the war powers vote. Republican Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul changed his vote to “present” after Trump railed against him and some of his colleagues during the lunch. (Senate Ditches Town Early For Two-Week Recess As Save America Act Remains On Ice)
“Tonight I will vote present on the War Powers resolution,” Paul said in a post on X. “My opinion on the debate over war and executive power has not changed and I have voted that way several times. But since hostilities seem to be over and the President asked me to give consideration to his negotiating position, I will do so.”
“My vote of present is a way to give the President more space and leverage to negotiate a lasting peace.”
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