Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) speaks to media on the first day of early voting outside of the Louisiana State Archives on May 02, 2026 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Cassidy, who is not endorsed by U.S. President Donald Trump, faces several challengers in the …
BATON ROUGE, La. - Sen. Bill Cassidy was decisively defeated in Saturday’s Republican primary in Louisiana, unable to convince voters that he deserved another term five years after voting to convict President Donald Trump during an impeachment trial over the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.
He finished behind U.S. Rep. Julia Letlow, who capitalized on the power of Trump's endorsement as the president continues purging his party of people he views as disloyal, and John Fleming, the state treasurer. Letlow and Fleming will compete in a runoff on June 27.
Why you should care:
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Trump rips lawmakers supporting Massie in Kentucky
LiveNOW’s Alexandra Goldberg is speaking with Kentucky-based political consultant, Andy Westberry, as voters ready themselves to hear the results on Tuesday for a number of key political races. With Senator Mitch McConnell preparing to retire at the conclusion of his term, the spotlight turns to the battle for his successor. We are also watching as longtime critic of President Donald Trump, Congressman Thomas Massie, will soon face the ballot box. The race involving Massie is becoming a critical test for Trump's political strength.
The result was the latest example of Trump's unrivaled power over the Republican Party as he approaches the twilight of his second term with persistent inflation, sagging approval ratings and dissatisfaction over the war with Iran. Unlike some other senators who declined to run again after crossing Trump, Cassidy pushed hard for reelection and spent nearly double the combined amount of his opponents.
But none of that was enough for Cassidy to qualify for a runoff, let alone win a third term.
What they're saying:
"Our country is not about one individual," he told supporters after his loss. "It is about the welfare of all Americans, and it is about the Constitution."
The other side:
Letlow, on the other hand, swiftly embraced Trump's central role when she spoke at her victory party.
"I want to say thank you to a very special man who you all know, the best president this country has ever had, President Donald Trump," she said while flanked by her two young children.
Asked about Cassidy's vote at the impeachment trial, Letlow called it "a sign that he had turned his back on the Louisiana voters."
Trump cheered the victory on social media, saying "that’s what you get by voting to Impeach an innocent man."
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Kentucky voters head to polls for Tuesday primary
We are preparing as President Donald Trump’s mission to unseat Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky will come to a head on Tuesday. In just a matter of days, voters in the Southern state will decide whether there is space inside the Republican Party for a politician who is so willing to defy the president. LiveNOW’s Alexandra Goldberg is speaking with Logan Gatti from the Louisville Democratic Party as reports now indicate that the race has become the most expensive House primary battle in United States history.
Dig deeper:
Trump unloaded on Cassidy the morning of the election, calling him "a disloyal disaster" and "a terrible guy." Later that night, the senator made a thinly veiled reference to the attacks.
"Insults only bother me if they come from somebody of character and integrity, and I find that people of character and integrity don’t spend their time attacking people on the internet," Cassidy said.
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Race for California Governor: How the primary election works
The California gubernatorial primary will be held on June 2, and University of Southern California political science professor Morris Levy joined Adam Llorens on LiveNOW from FOX to analyze how the primary election process works.
What's next:
The Louisiana primary comes in the middle of a month of campaigns by Trump to exact retribution on politicians who have crossed him. On May 5 he helped dislodge five of seven Indiana state senators who rejected his redistricting plan.
Next Tuesday, U.S. Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky will face a Trump-backed challenger, Ed Gallrein, in another Republican primary. Massie angered Trump by opposing his signature tax legislation over concerns about the national debt, pushing for the release of the Jeffrey Epstein files and opposing his decision to go to war with Iran.
After Cassidy's defeat, Trump wrote on social media that "Tom Massie, a major Sleazebag, is even worse." He encouraged voters to "get this LOSER out of politics in Tuesday’s Election."
Cassidy's vote in favor of convicting the president after his 2021 impeachment has shadowed him since.
Trump also blamed Cassidy for the failed nomination of his second choice for surgeon general, Casey Means, who raised doubts about vaccinating newborns for hepatitis B, a practice Cassidy supports. Trump withdrew the Means nomination and criticized the senator.
The Source: The Associated Press contributed to this report. The story is based on results from Louisiana’s Republican primary election, along with public statements from Sen. Bill Cassidy, Rep. Julia Letlow and President Donald Trump.