Louisiana Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy wants his reelection campaign to be about “the present and the future.” President Donald Trump has other plans.
Five years after Cassidy voted to convict Trump in his second impeachment, the senator lost his reelection primary to a Trump-backed challenger — and a second challenger who also backed Trump. Trump-endorsed Rep. Julia Letlow and Louisiana Treasurer John Fleming are now headed to runoff elections.
Cassidy became the first Republican senator to lose re-election in nearly a decade, a notable defeat that once again showed how Trump dominates the party.
In his concession speech, Cassidy hinted that he might become a thorn in Trump’s side in his final months in office without mentioning Trump, or at least become more openly critical of his party.
“Let me be clear: Our country is not a country of one man. It’s about the well-being of all Americans and it’s about our Constitution,” Cassidy said. “If someone doesn’t understand that and tries to control others by using the levers of power, then they are serving themselves. They are not serving us. That person is not qualified to be a leader.”
Here’s what we took away from Louisiana primary night:
Trump’s control of party
Cassidy sought to overshadow his impeachment vote by touting a good working relationship with Trump, pointing to four bills Trump signed into law in which he played a major role. But Cassidy can’t overcome the reality that siding with Trump on impeachment has become an enduring litmus test for Republican voters and the president.
The issue was raised frequently by Letlow, Fleming and Trump, who was particularly aggrieved by Cassidy’s vote to convict him after he endorsed him in Trump’s last re-election bid.
“His disloyalty to the people who got him elected is now part of the legend and it’s great to see his political career over!” Trump wrote on social media Saturday night.
By endorsing Letlow against Cassidy, Trump accomplished something he has never done in his extraordinary political career: defeat his own party’s senators in primaries. On Tuesday, he hopes to defeat one of the biggest Republican mavericks in Congress, Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, in a House primary.
Trump quickly linked Cassidy to Massie. On Sunday morning, Trump said in a post on The Truth Society that Massie was “a greater insult to our country than Cassidy was” and reiterated his support for Massie’s primary challenger, Ed Garlain.
Cassidy takes the road less traveled
One of the reasons Trump has yet to defeat Republican senators so far is because his early critics within the party have chosen not to seek re-election rather than face his wrath in primaries, North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis being the latest example. Cassidy made it clear early on that he wasn’t going out without a fight.
In his concession speech, he said he had no regrets.
Supporter Hector Saddy holds a sign that reads “Louisiana First” as Senator Bill Cassidy addresses supporters at an election vigil party on May 16, 2026 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. – Gerald Herbert/AP
“I’ve been able to participate in democracy,” he said, “but when you participate in democracy, sometimes it doesn’t turn out the way you want it to.”
Cassidy’s defeat could be a warning sign for another Senate Republican who has upset Trump before and continues a challenging re-election bid in neighboring Texas Sen. John Cornyn. But unlike Louisiana, Trump is not involved in the race between Cornyn and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, which will be resolved in a May 26 runoff election.
interesting runoff
With Cassidy out, the runoff between Letlow and Fleming raises new questions: Who the president’s supporters in Louisiana prefer to hold the seat.
While Letlow started the overtime race as the favorite, Fleming proved resilient in the primary as he positioned himself as a truly pro-Trump candidate. He is a former congressman who worked in the White House during Trump’s first term.
Notably, Trump called the two challengers “two great people” in a social media post as primary voting began Saturday morning.
Letlow said in her primary night speech that she would not take the runoffs for granted and promised to travel across the state again. Trump sounded more flippant when talking about the runoffs — while making clear he remained steadfast in his support of Letlow.
He wrote on social media: “Julia Letlow is a wonderful person and with some additional business she will be an outstanding Senator for the great people of Louisiana.”
Cassidy was released?
Since deciding not to seek re-election, Tillis has become more outspoken about the Trump administration. Tillis recently delayed Trump’s nomination of Kevin Warsh as Fed chairman to pressure the Justice Department to drop its investigation into then-Chairman Jay Powell.
Cassidy said Saturday night that the country is “not one man’s business” and continued to contrast himself with faceless “leaders” who care more about themselves than the people they serve. Minutes before Trump launched his latest swipe, accusing him of disloyalty, he cited his own experience of being “attacked on the Internet.”
Senator Bill Cassidy hugs supporters after losing the primary race during an event at Boudreaux’s Caterers in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, on May 16, 2026. – Michael DeMocker/Getty Images
“It only bothers me when the insult comes from a person of character and integrity,” Cassidy said. “I’ve found that people of character and integrity don’t spend their time attacking people on the internet.”
Earlier in the speech, Cassidy made another apparent reference to Trump and denied that he had lost the 2020 election while extolling the virtues of democracy.
“You’re not going to pout, you’re not going to whine, you’re not going to claim the election was stolen… you’re not going to make any excuses,” Cassidy said. “As long as you have that privilege, you thank the voters for giving you the privilege to represent the state or the country. That’s what I’m doing right now.”
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