Bill Cassidy says President Trump sometimes treats Congress as ‘merely an appendage’ in CBS interview

Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.), who recently lost a primary for his seat, said in a CBS News interview that President Donald Trump at times treats Congress as “merely an appendage.” Cassidy made the remark during an interview with CBS News host Margaret Brennan that aired Sunday on Face the Nation, according to The Hill.

In the interview, Cassidy said “the Senate is a separate body, separate from the presidency.” The comment was presented in the context of Cassidy’s assessment of how the White House relates to Congress, and it centered on the constitutional structure of the legislative branch’s independence from the executive.

The remarks come amid ongoing public debate over how separation of powers operates in practice, including differences between presidential priorities and Congress’s role in legislating, oversight, and confirming executive-branch nominees. Cassidy’s characterization, as reflected in the interview coverage, focused specifically on the Senate’s institutional autonomy.

Cassidy also framed Congress and the Senate as distinct from presidential authority, suggesting that the legislature must function independently rather than as a subordinate arm of the executive. The Hill’s report described Cassidy’s comments as a critique of Trump’s approach rather than a statement about a specific bill or vote.

Cassidy, a long-serving senator, has remained an influential Republican voice on policy and governance issues, and his comments on executive-legislative relations add to the public record of how members of Congress interpret the conduct of the presidency. His remarks were made shortly after the primary outcome that ended his bid to return to the Senate.

While Cassidy’s interview addressed the relationship between branches at a principles level, it did not, in the account provided, cite a particular legislative or enforcement episode tied to the “appendage” characterization. The report also did not identify a specific Trump statement or action in the excerpted description.

Cassidy’s comments are likely to be read by lawmakers and advocates through the lens of constitutional process, including how Congress asserts its authority over spending, regulation, and oversight. The practical stakes of the dispute, in general terms, include whether legislative deliberation functions as an equal branch with independent capacity, or largely as an extension of presidential priorities.