Yes, Sen. Cassidy, we are in total agreement with you

Our colleagues at The New Republic headlined their website the morning after the debate, “Trump Won the Republican Debate He Didn’t Even Attend.” When moderator Brett Baier referred to Trump as “the elephant not in the room,” the crowd cheered. Then, seven of the eight Republican presidential candidates said that they would support his reelection to the presidency if he won their party’s nomination. That acquiescence signals an unparalleled danger to the nation.

Though we disagree with him 99 percent of the time, Sen. Bill Cassidy’s call for Donald Trump to drop out of the Republican presidential sweepstakes is the right call. His withdrawal from the body politic would be good for the Republic; so good, in fact, that we must conclude that it is worth a sacrifice of honor and justice to make sure that Trump never darkens the steps of the White House again. Previously unthinkable offers should be made to make this sale, in large part, because even under conviction, Trump could win – thanks to the way the electoral field is shaping up.

Moreover, even if he were to lose, the poison that Trump would further inject into the political debate may never find an antidote.

This article originally published in the August 28, 2023 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper.