State Sen. Blake Miguez has President Donald Trumpโs endorsement to represent Louisianโs 5th Congressional District. But it looks like one of his rivals in the May 16 Republican primary, has Trumpโs number.
Trump, as we all know, is legendarily susceptible to flattery and overtly obsessed with things that bear his name. So what better way to turn his head โ or at least to make voters think youโre the truer Trumpster in the race โ than to propose naming a major bridge after the guy?
It pains me to admit it, but as a political ploy, thereโs actually something kind of clever about Echolsโ which would name the long-awaited new Mississippi River bridge near Baton Rouge the โPresident Donald J. Trump Expresswayโ โ even if the underlying proposal is pretty ridiculous.
Of course, Echols claims his proposal has nothing to do with the election. Instead, he told the House Transportation Committee before members approved the bill 12-2, itโs a pure federal money grab for a project thatโs not yet fully funded.
Trump โlikes to build big things,โ Echols said, and โwhether you like him or not, you put his name on something, you get his attention.โ
Asked point-blank by state Rep. Joy Walters, a Shreveport Democrat, whether he sponsored the bill to win Trumpโs endorsement, Echols, who leads the Houseโs Republican caucus, said: โNo, heโs already endorsed somebody else.โ
Still, Trump can be fickle, and his endorsement of Miguez has already served its of pushing him out of the race for U.S. Senate, where Trump is basically sponsoring 5th District U.S. Rep. Julia Letlowโs attempt to unseat incumbent Bill Cassidy.
Plus, Miguez faces some real headwinds, starting with the fact that he comes from Acadiana, which is well outside the district (thereโs no legal residency requirement but itโs certainly a political plus โ one that Echols, whose home base of Monroe is an anchor of the northeast ถถา๕h district, can claim). There were also involving an alleged sexual assault of a girlfriend nearly 20 years ago; no charges were filed and Miguez denies the allegation. And there are other prominent Republicans on the ballot too, state Sen. Rick Edmonds of Baton Rouge and Misti Cordell, who chairs the state Board of Regents.
So yes, thereโs an opening for Echols to stand out by courting Trump and his fans in the Republican primary electorate, just as Cassidy is doing despite Trumpโs endorsement of Letlow. Shameless as it is, in the topsy-turvy world we now live in, whoโs to say it canโt work?
Which is not โ at all โ to say it should.
Consider the fact that governments generally name things after politicians once their legacies are set. Trumpโs is very much still being written, but it will certainly be divisive. The way things are going, thereโs no guarantee that even voters who supported him at the polls will look back fondly on the lawless immigration crackdown, the return of vaccine-preventable disease, the war with Iran, the rapidly rising gas prices or the rest of his scandal-ridden record. State law wisely prevents naming public facilities after someone whoโs still living, even if lawmakers can overrule it.
Echolsโ bill also underscores one of many shortcomings of the new party primary system. On top of the fact that it limits options for voters used to open primaries, causes widespread confusion and adds extra costs, it also moves peak campaigning season right into the middle of the annual legislative session. That gives candidates who serve in the Legislature even more incentive than usual to put their own political ambitions ahead of their responsibility to apply basic common sense.
Think of where the debate could lead. In their own bids to kiss up to Trump, Echolsโ primary opponents in the Legislature or any other lawmakers looking for a little reflected glory could escalate things. We could be looking at amendments to create the Donald Trump Big Beautiful Bridge, or to festoon it with the presidentโs name in giant gold leaf letters.
This is one campaign stunt that could really end up taking us a bridge too far.