Bill Cassidy was one of seven Republican senators who voted to convict Trump after the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol.
Posted: May 17, 2026
U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy lost the Louisiana Republican primary after years of criticism from supporters of Donald Trump for convicting the U.S. president in his 2021 impeachment trial related to the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol that year.
Cassidy failed to secure enough support in southern states on Saturday to advance to the runoff, falling behind Rep. Julia Letlow and state Treasurer John Fleming. The two will face off in the second round of voting on June 27.
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The results highlight Trump’s continued influence over the Republican Party, targeting politicians he sees as disloyal even as he faces growing political pressure over inflation, falling approval ratings and criticism of the US-Israel war on Iran.
Cassidy was one of seven Republican senators who voted to convict Trump following the attack on the U.S. Capitol by Trump supporters seeking to overturn his 2020 election loss. While several Republicans who broke with Trump decided not to seek re-election, Cassidy campaigned aggressively for a third six-year term and significantly outperformed his rivals.
On the morning of the vote, Trump attacked Cassidy on social media, calling him a “disloyal disaster” and a “horrible person.” After the loss, Cassidy appeared to indirectly react to President Trump’s remarks. “Insults only bother me when they come from people of character and integrity,” he told supporters.
He added, “Our country is not about one individual, it is about the welfare of all Americans and the Constitution.”
Meanwhile, Letlow accepted Trump’s endorsement in his victory speech. “I want to say thank you to a very special person, the best president this country has ever had, President Donald Trump,” she said.
She later described Cassidy’s impeachment vote as evidence that he had “turned his back on the voters of Louisiana.” Trump celebrated Cassidy’s loss online, writing, “That’s what you get by voting to impeach an innocent man.”
The Louisiana primary is the latest in a series of contests in which Trump has supported efforts to oust Republican lawmakers who oppose him. Earlier this month, several Indiana senators also lost after rejecting Trump’s redistricting plan to give Republicans more seats in the U.S. Congress.
Saturday’s election was also held in turmoil after a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling weakening parts of the Voting Rights Act related to district maps.
While the Senate primary proceeded as planned, Louisiana officials postponed the U.S. House primary to redraw district boundaries. Civil rights groups objected, arguing that the delay violated both the U.S. Constitution and the Louisiana Constitution.
