Sen. Bill Cassidy’s defeat shows the price of dissent in Trump’s Republican Party
Sen. Bill Cassidy lost his Republican primary in Louisiana, marking the end of a two-decade political career shaped by tensions with Donald Trump. His 2021 vote to convict Trump on impeachment charges following the January 6 Capitol riot was a key factor in his defeat. Despite a voting record largely aligned with Trump, Cassidy's break on the impeachment vote proved costly in a party increasingly demanding loyalty.
- ▪Sen. Bill Cassidy lost the Republican primary in Louisiana and will not advance to the general election.
- ▪Cassidy voted in 2021 to convict former President Donald Trump on impeachment charges related to the January 6 Capitol riot.
- ▪Trump-backed Rep. Julia Letlow and state Treasurer John Fleming are projected to face each other in a June 27 runoff.
- ▪Only two of the six Senate Republicans who voted to convict Trump in 2021 remain in office: Lisa Murkowski and Susan Collins.
- ▪Cassidy, a physician, has clashed with Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy over vaccine policy despite confirming him.
- ▪Cassidy's voting record in the Senate was largely aligned with Trump's legislative and judicial priorities.
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2026 ElectionSen. Bill Cassidy’s defeat shows the price of dissent in Trump’s Republican PartyThe senator lost his primary in Louisiana Saturday night, five years after voting to convict Trump on impeachment charges following the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot.Listen to this article with a free account00:0000:00Sen. Bill Cassidy at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 15.Aaron Schwartz / Bloomberg via Getty Images fileShareAdd NBC News to GoogleMay 16, 2026, 11:35 PM EDTBy Sahil KapurSen. Bill Cassidy’s primary loss Saturday brings an end to a two-decade career in public office that was ultimately defined by tensions with President Donald Trump.Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.And when Republicans have tensions with Trump, the president…
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