One of Donald Trump’s only Republican dissenters let loose on the president after a bitter election loss.
Sen. Bill Cassidy, one of seven Republican senators who voted to impeach the president for “incitement of insurrection” following the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, was ousted Saturday night by a Trump-endorsed challenger in his bid for re-election.
In the lead-up to the Louisiana primary, the Baton Rouge senator sought to publicly improve his relationship with the 79-year-old president. But after becoming the first GOP senator in more than a decade to lose renomination, Cassidy appeared to have a change of heart.
“Let me just set the record straight: Our country is not about one individual,” the 68-year-old said in his concession speech, CNN reported.
“And if someone doesn’t understand that and attempts to control others through using the levers of power, they’re about serving themselves. They’re not about serving us. And that person is not qualified to be a leader.”
Cassidy did not explicitly reference Trump by name. Still, the senator’s comments signaled that he will not go quietly during his final months in the Senate.
The senator went even further, appearing to criticize Trump’s surprise war on Iran in a thinly veiled blow.
“Leadership should be steady, not erratic,” Cassidy said, according to CNN reporter Patrick Svitek. “Thoughtful, not impulsive. And leaders should think through the consequences of their actions before embarking on something and then seeing the American people suffer those consequences later.”
The White House and Cassidy’s representatives did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Trump, for his part, celebrated Cassidy’s defeat in a lengthy Truth Social post.
“Bill Cassidy, after falsely using his ‘relationship’ with me during his political career, and winning Elections because of it, voted to impeach me on preposterous charges that were fake then, and now, are criminally insane!” Trump began his 10:52 p.m. post.
“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! I’d like to thank the Great People of the State of Louisiana, and this Big Victory will only make me work even harder for your success, and all that comes with it.”
“I LOVE YOU ALL. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”
Julia Letlow, Trump’s handpicked candidate, didn’t outright secure Cassidy’s seat on Saturday night. The congresswoman secured 45 percent of the vote, advancing to a June 27 runoff against state treasurer John Fleming, who trailed with 28 percent.
Cassidy, meanwhile, received just 24 percent.
In January, Trump endorsed Letlow in a Truth Social post that reportedly caught everyone by surprise—including the congresswoman herself.
“RUN, JULIA, RUN!!!” the president urged Letlow, 45.
“I know Julia well, have seen her tested at the highest and most difficult levels, and she is a TOTAL WINNER! A Proud Mother of two children, Julia is a wonderful person, has ALWAYS delivered for Louisiana, and would continue doing so in the United States Senate,” Trump wrote.
Letlow embraced the president’s endorsement, however shocking it may have been. She had previously expressed interest in entering the race to Trump, but hadn’t heard from anyone within his administration since Dec. 11, when she announced her engagement at the White House, The New York Times reported.
At the time, Cassidy was still attempting to present himself as a Trump ally. A post pinned to his X account shows him standing beside the president behind the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office as Trump signs red MAGA hats.
“Great to be with POTUS in the Oval Office today!” the post reads. “This is what a great working relationship looks like.”
