Bill Cassidy lost his Louisiana Senate primary to a challenger endorsed by President Donald Trump. Cassidy had voted to convict Trump in the president’s second impeachment trial after the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack and Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election results. The Louisiana Republican Party censured Cassidy for that vote. Cassidy, a physician, increased criticism of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., deepening tensions with Trump. Trump endorsed Rep. Julie Letlow over Cassidy and former Rep. John Fleming, leading to a bitter primary that ended with Letlow and Fleming advancing to a runoff. Cassidy made remarks in his concession speech rejecting claims of a stolen election and criticizing online attacks. After Trump later endorsed Ken Paxton over John Cornyn, Cassidy responded by calling Paxton a felon.
"Cassidy ended up on Trump's bad side when he was one of seven Senate Republicans who voted for conviction in the president's second impeachment trial, which occurred in the wake of the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol and Trump's efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election. Cassidy was censured by the Louisiana Republican Party for his vote."
"Trump endorsed Rep. Julie Letlow (R-LA) over Cassidy and another MAGA Republican, former Rep. John Fleming (R-LA), a co-founder of the House Freedom Caucus who currently serves as Louisiana's state treasurer. This set off a bitter primary battle rivaled in nastiness perhaps only by the Senate fight in neighboring Texas between Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. Letlow and Fleming advanced to a primary runoff, and Cassidy was left out in the cold."
"The now lame duck senator took some verbal swings at Trump in his election night concession speech, saying that when you lose in a democracy, you don't pout, you don't whine, you don't claim the election was stolen, and adding that he was not bothered by being attacked on the internet, because insults only bother me if they come from somebody of character and integrity and I find that people of character and integrity don't spent their time attacking people on the internet."
"On Tuesday after Trump announced he was endorsing Paxton over Cassidy's fellow Republican incumbent Cornyn, the Louisiana senator offered a scathing response, telling a reporter he thought Paxton was a felon. (Note: Paxton was indeed charged with multiple"
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