Former Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) on Sunday described Sen. Bill Cassidy\u2019s (R-La.) defeat in the Louisiana Republican primary on Saturday as a \u201closs for the country.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Cassidy lost the race in Louisiana\u2019s newly closed primary system following years of disagreement with President Trump after Cassidy voted to convict him for the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe Senate to now lose an exceptionally brilliant and creative mind, an MD who chairs healthcare, and a person of character,\u201d Romney said on the social platform X, referring to Cassidy\u2019s degree as a medical doctor. \u201cBill Cassidy\u2019s departure is a loss for the country.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Trump-endorsed Rep. Julia Letlow (R-La.) and Louisiana Treasurer John Fleming (R) were the top vote-getters Saturday, edging out Cassidy in his toughest race since first winning in 2014. Neither Fleming nor Letlow scored at least half the vote to avoid a June 27 runoff.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhen you participate in democracy, sometimes it doesn\u2019t turn out the way you want it to, but you don\u2019t pout, you don\u2019t whine, you don\u2019t claim the election was stolen, you don\u2019t find a reason why you lost,\u201d Cassidy said late Saturday to supporters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou don\u2019t manufacture some excuse. You thank the voters for the privilege of representing the state or the country for as long as you\u2019ve had that privilege, and that\u2019s what I\u2019m doing right now.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Romney, a regular critic of the president, was the only Republican senator to vote to convict Trump during both of his impeachment proceedings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cPresident Trump also violated his oath of office by failing to protect the Capitol, the Vice President, and others in the Capitol,\u201d Romney said in 2021. \u201cEach and every one of these conclusions compels me to support conviction.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Trump had gone after Cassidy for years following the impeachment vote. Cassidy was one of the seven Republican members to convict Trump, and one of the three remaining in the Senate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Trump also blamed Cassidy, the chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, for blocking the nomination of his surgeon general pick, Casey Means, which drew condemnation from Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and followers of his Make America Healthy Again movement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHis disloyalty to the man who got him elected is now a part of a legend, and it\u2019s nice to see that his political career is OVER!\u201d Trump posted to Truth Social on Saturday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) also weighed in on Cassidy\u2019s loss, taking a turn away from Romney\u2019s sentiment and saying on Sunday that there was \u201cno room\u201d in the GOP to \u201cdestroy\u201d Trump\u2019s agenda.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThere\u2019s no room in this party to destroy his agenda or to destroy him and his family as a Republican. Democrats do it all the time,\u201d Graham said during an appearance on NBC\u2019s \u201cMeet the Press.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIf you align with Democrats to stop his agenda like Massie does, you\u2019re going to lose. If you align with Democrats to drive him out of office, like Cassidy did, you\u2019re going to lose,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n