Louisiana Republican Sen. Invoice Cassidy wished his reelection marketing campaign to be in regards to the “current and the long run.” President Donald Trump had different plans.
5 years after Cassidy voted to convict Trump in his second impeachment, the senator misplaced his main for reelection to a Trump-endorsed challenger – and a second challenger who additionally embraced Trump. Trump-backed Rep. Julia Letlow and Louisiana State Treasurer John Fleming are actually headed to a runoff.
Cassidy grew to become the primary GOP senator to lose renomination in near a decade, a outstanding downfall that exhibits once more how Trump dominates the social gathering.
Cassidy signaled in his concession speech, with out mentioning Trump, that he may spend the ultimate months of his time period being extra of a thorn in Trump’s facet – or no less than extra brazenly vital of his social gathering.
“Let me simply set the file straight: Our nation isn’t about one particular person. It’s in regards to the welfare of all Individuals and it’s about our Structure,” Cassidy mentioned. “And if somebody doesn’t perceive that and makes an attempt to regulate others via utilizing the levers of energy, they’re about serving themselves. They’re not about serving us. And that individual isn’t certified to be a frontrunner.”
Listed below are our takeaways from main night time in Louisiana:
Trump’s grip on the social gathering
Cassidy had sought to paper over his impeachment vote by touting a very good working relationship with Trump, noting Trump signed 4 payments through which he had an enormous position. However Cassidy couldn’t overcome the fact that siding towards Trump on impeachment has turn out to be an enduring litmus check for GOP voters – and for the president.
Letlow, Fleming and Trump introduced up the problem often, and Trump was particularly aggrieved that Cassidy voted to convict him after Trump backed him in his final reelection bid.
“His disloyalty to the person who bought him elected is now part of legend, and it’s good to see that his political profession is OVER!” Trump wrote Saturday night time on social media.
In backing Letlow towards Cassidy, Trump achieved one thing he has not performed but in his extraordinary political profession: defeat a senator from his personal social gathering in a main. It got here as he seems to be to unseat one of many greatest GOP mavericks in Congress — Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie — in a Home main Tuesday.
Trump was fast to attract a connection between Cassidy and Massie. In a Fact Social put up early Sunday morning, Trump mentioned Massie “is a fair larger insult to our Nation than” Cassidy and reiterated assist for Massie’s main challenger, Ed Gallrein.
Cassidy takes highway much less traveled
One of many causes that Trump has not defeated a Republican senator till now could be as a result of his earlier intraparty critics selected to not search reelection reasonably than face his wrath in a main, with North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis being the latest instance. Cassidy made clear early on that he wouldn’t exit with out a struggle.
In his concession speech, he mentioned he had no regrets.
Supporter Hector Saddy holds an indication studying “LOUISIANA FIRST” as Sen. Invoice Cassidy speaks to supporters throughout an election night time watch social gathering in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, on Might 16, 2026. – Gerald Herbert/AP
“I’ve been capable of take part in democracy,” he mentioned, “and whenever you take part in democracy, typically it doesn’t end up the best way you need it to.”
Cassidy’s defeat may very well be a warning signal to a different Senate Republican who’s beforehand irked Trump and has solid forward with a difficult reelection bid: Sen. John Cornyn in neighboring Texas. However not like in Louisiana, Trump has stayed out of the competition between Cornyn and Texas Legal professional Basic Ken Paxton, which will probably be resolved in a Might 26 runoff.
An intriguing runoff
With Cassidy out of the image, the runoff between Letlow and Fleming raises new questions on who the president’s supporters in Louisiana choose for the seat.
Whereas Letlow begins the additional time spherical as the favourite, Fleming proved to be resilient within the main as he pitched himself because the true pro-Trump candidate. He’s a former congressman who labored within the White Home throughout Trump’s first time period.
Notably, Trump referred to each challengers as “two nice individuals” in a social media put up because the voting within the main started Saturday morning.
In her main night time speech, Letlow recommended she wouldn’t take the runoff as a right, promising to journey all through the state once more. Trump spoke of the runoff a bit extra flippantly – whereas making clear he remained firmly behind Letlow.
“Julia Letlow is a improbable individual and, after caring for some further enterprise, will make an excellent Senator for the Nice Folks of Louisiana,” he wrote on social media.
Cassidy unleashed?
Tillis has been extra outspoken in regards to the Trump administration since deciding towards looking for reelection. Tillis not too long ago held up Trump’s nomination of Kevin Warsh to chair the Federal Reserve to strain the Justice Division to drop its investigation into then-Chair Jay Powell.
Cassidy mentioned Saturday night time that the nation is “not about one particular person” and went on to distinction himself with unnamed “leaders” who’re extra involved about themselves than the individuals they serve. And he introduced up his expertise of “being attacked on the web,” talking minutes earlier than Trump launched his newest broadside towards him accusing him of disloyalty.
Senator Invoice Cassidy hugs supporters after conceding his main election contest throughout an occasion at Boudreaux’s Caterers in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, on Might 16, 2026. – Michael DeMocker/Getty Pictures
“Insults solely hassle me if they arrive from any person of character and integrity,” Cassidy mentioned. “I discover that individuals of character and integrity don’t spend their time attacking individuals on the web.”
Earlier in his speech, Cassidy made one other obvious reference to Trump — and his denial that he misplaced the 2020 election — whereas extolling the virtues of democracy.
“You don’t pout, you don’t whine, you don’t declare that the election was stolen … you don’t manufacture some excuse,” Cassidy mentioned. “You thank the voters for the privilege of representing the state or the nation for so long as you’ve had that privilege. And that’s what I’m doing proper now.”
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