LEILA FADEL, HOST:
We're coming out of a weekend that was all about control - control over who votes where, control over voting rights and the president's bid to keep control of the Republican Party.
A MARTÍNEZ, HOST:
The latest casualty in President Trump's campaign to vanquish Republicans he sees as disloyal is a two-term senator from Louisiana. Senator Bill Cassidy lost his reelection bid Saturday in a three-way primary race. Cassidy was one of seven Republican senators who voted to convict Trump after the January 6 insurrection. The result is another sign of Trump's grip on the GOP.
FADEL: NPR congressional reporter Sam Gringlas was on the campaign trail in Louisiana and joins us now. Good morning, Sam.
SAM GRINGLAS, BYLINE: Hey, Leila.
FADEL: So has the president reacted to Cassidy's loss?
GRINGLAS: Yeah. President Trump wrote that Cassidy's disloyalty is now part of legend and, quote, it is "nice to see" "his political career is over." And, Leila, it wasn't even close. Cassidy finished last in his primary. His Trump-backed challenger, Representative Julia Letlow, will advance to a June runoff against state Treasurer John Fleming. And when Cassidy conceded on Saturday night, he made this apparent dig at Trump.
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BILL CASSIDY: You don't whine. You don't claim the election was stolen. You thank the voters for the privilege of representing the state or the country for as long as you've had that privilege, and that's what I'm doing right now.
FADEL: Now, you spent time on the campaign trail with Cassidy and Letlow. You talked to voters. What did you hear?
GRINGLAS: Cassidy said this campaign should be about the future, not the past. But for many Republican voters, that vote to convict Trump felt like a betrayal. Cassidy tried to repair his relationship with Trump supporters while still maintaining that independent streak. But as former Louisiana Republican Lieutenant Governor Jay Dardenne told me, it might be impossible to do both things.
FADEL: Any signals from Cassidy about how he's going to approach his final eight months in office?
GRINGLAS: Well, Cassidy hinted he might not finish his term quietly.
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CASSIDY: Our country is not about one individual.
UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #1: Yeah.
(APPLAUSE)
CASSIDY: It is about the welfare of all Americans, and it is about our Constitution.
UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #2: Woo.
UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #1: Yeah.
GRINGLAS: Cassidy may look to fellow Senator Thom Tillis as an example. The retiring North Carolina Republican has become one of the most vocal GOP critics of Trump in Congress. But next year, both Cassidy and Tillis will exit, leaving few Republican senators willing to criticize Trump at a time when Congress has repeatedly relinquished authority to the president. After this year, at least five of the seven Republican senators who voted to convict Trump will be gone, and Cassidy's defeat may further discourage Republican senators from breaking with Trump.
FADEL: So we saw Trump's influence here in this race. How else has Trump used his influence this primary season?
GRINGLAS: You know, when I reported from Indiana last year, it was stunning to see a handful of Republican state senators defy Trump, voting against his campaign to redistrict ahead of the midterms. But this spring, almost all of them were defeated in primaries after Trump targeted them. Another test will be a House race on Tuesday in Kentucky, where Trump is backing a challenger against Congressman Thomas Massie, a Trump critic.
FADEL: Now, there are primaries in a half a dozen states this week. What else are you watching?
GRINGLAS: I was a reporter in Georgia for four years, and there's a lot to watch in that Tuesday primary. There are a bunch of competitive races, including for governor and Senate. Trump has not endorsed in the Senate primary to take on Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff, and all three candidates are competing to align themselves most closely with the president.
FADEL: NPR's Sam Gringlas. Thank you, Sam.
GRINGLAS: You're welcome. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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