Cassidy Defends Impeachment Vote After Primary Defeat

Senator Bill Cassidy (R-La.) returned to Capitol Hill on Monday and defiantly defended his 2021 vote to convict former President Donald Trump in his second impeachment trial, days after losing his re-election bid in Louisiana’s Republican primary. “That may have cost me my seat, but who cares? I had the privilege of voting to uphold the Constitution,” Cassidy told reporters, according to NBC News. “When I die, if that’s put in my obituary, ‘he voted to uphold the Constitution’ — I’ll figure that that’s going to be a better obituary.”

The Primary Defeat

Cassidy finished third in the May 16 primary behind U.S. Rep. Julia Letlow and state Treasurer John Fleming, who will face each other in a June 27 runoff. Letlow, endorsed by Trump before she had even declared her candidacy, and Fleming, a former Trump administration official, both ran on their strong ties to the president. The Associated Press reported that Cassidy’s campaign was expected to have spent roughly $9.6 million on advertising, with a super PAC supporting him spending an additional $12.3 million — nearly double the combined spending of his opponents.

Louisiana’s move to a semi-closed primary system, championed by Trump ally Gov. Jeff Landry, was widely seen as targeting Cassidy. Under the old open “jungle” primary system, Cassidy could have received votes from Democrats and independents. The new system required voters to request a partisan ballot, effectively cutting off Cassidy’s potential cross-over support. According to the Louisiana Illuminator, hundreds of voters reported confusion and difficulty casting ballots under the new rules.

The Impeachment Vote That Defined His Career

Cassidy was one of seven Republican senators who voted to convict Trump in February 2021 on charges of inciting an insurrection related to the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. It was the most bipartisan impeachment vote in American history. The Senate ultimately acquitted Trump, falling short of the two-thirds majority needed for conviction.

Of those seven Republicans, only Lisa Murkowski (Alaska) and Susan Collins (Maine) remain in office. Richard Burr, Mitt Romney, Ben Sasse, and Pat Toomey did not seek re-election. Cassidy’s defeat marks the most high-profile example yet of Trump’s willingness to purge those he views as disloyal from the party.

Trump’s Enduring Grip on the GOP

Trump celebrated Cassidy’s defeat on social media, writing: “His disloyalty to the man who got him elected is now a part of legend, and it’s nice to see that his political career is OVER!” Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) framed the outcome as a necessary consequence of crossing Trump, telling NBC’s “Meet the Press”: “Those who try to destroy Trump politically, stand in the way of his agenda, are going to lose. Because this is the party of Donald Trump.” The Guardian reported that Cassidy’s Louisiana colleague, Sen. John Kennedy, said simply: “Bill’s loss was predictable, and Bill knew it.”

Cassidy’s Balancing Act

After his impeachment vote, Cassidy attempted to maintain political viability by supporting much of Trump’s agenda. He crucially supported Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s nomination as HHS Secretary despite his own reservations about Kennedy’s anti-vaccine views. This balancing act satisfied neither side: Trump loyalists never forgave the impeachment vote, while anti-Trump voters saw Cassidy as insufficiently principled.

On Monday, Cassidy was more outspoken, criticizing Trump’s proposed $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization” fund and a separate $1 billion allocation for a White House ballroom. “We are a nation of laws; you can’t just make up things,” Cassidy said of the fund. “Louisianians don’t want to spend [that] on a ballroom. They just can’t afford it.”

What’s Next

The runoff between Letlow and Fleming on June 27 will likely determine Louisiana’s next senator given the state’s Republican leanings. Meanwhile, Trump’s purge of the party continues: on May 19, a Trump-backed challenger faced Rep. Thomas Massie in Kentucky’s primary. The Cassidy defeat sends a clear signal to remaining Republican officeholders about the cost of crossing Trump, even as the president approaches the twilight of his second term with low approval ratings amid persistent inflation and an unpopular war with Iran.

As for Cassidy, when asked if he would run for office again, he made a subtle dig at Trump’s refusal to accept the 2020 election results: “I respect democracy. So right now that door just seems to be shut.”