Tamara Keith and Amy Walter on Trump’s power in pushing out ‘disloyal’ Republicans
PBS NewsHour – Politics — 2026-05-18 17:30:00 — www.pbs.org
President Trump has successfully ousted a Republican senator who voted to convict him in his impeachment trial five years ago. After losing his bid for a third term, Louisiana’s Bill Cassidy took a thinly veiled swipe at the president last night. Cassidy stated, “Sometimes, it doesn’t turn out the way you wanted to, but you don’t pout, you don’t whine, you don’t claim that election was stolen. You thank the voters for the privilege of representing the state or the country for as long as you have had that privilege.”
It’s another sign of Trump’s grip on the party, even as his popularity sinks to all-time lows. Here to unpack this weekend’s results in Louisiana and the next big test in Kentucky tomorrow, it’s our Politics Monday duo, Amy Walter of The Cook Political Report With Amy Walter and Tamara Keith of NPR.
As you well know, Bill Cassidy voted to convict President Trump in 2021. Also, he was the deciding favorable vote for Pete Hegseth’s confirmation and for RFK Jr. Cassidy didn’t just lose; he finished third behind the Trump-backed candidate, Representative Julia Letlow, and State Treasurer John Fleming, who now go to a run-off. Amy Walter noted that there are three ways to get elected as a Republican: get endorsed by Donald Trump, don’t run against someone who has been endorsed by Trump, and don’t vote to impeach him. Lisa Murkowski is the only senator who has survived all three of those conditions.
Walter expressed that Cassidy has nothing left to lose and questioned whether he would use his remaining time in Washington to challenge the administration. Tamara Keith added that Cassidy has already begun to speak out against Trump administration policies.
In Kentucky, the incumbent Thomas Massie is in a dead heat with former Navy SEAL Ed Gallrein. Massie has a history of voting against the Republican leadership and has been criticized by Trump, who called him “the worst congressman in the history of our country, always voting against Republicans and good values.” This raises the question of whether voters will prioritize Massie’s loyalty to Trump or his commitment to his own values.
Additionally, the DOJ has created a $1.8 billion fund that could compensate allies of Trump who claim they were targeted by previous administrations. This fund is part of a broader effort by Trump to rewrite history regarding his presidency and the challenges he faced.
Overall, while Trump’s approval ratings are low, he continues to exert significant influence over Republican primaries, demonstrating his ability to punish those who oppose him.