Sen. John Kennedy Discusses Bill Cassidy’s Primary Defeat

On Sunday, Republican Sen. John Kennedy expressed his thoughts on Louisiana Sen. Bill Cassidy’s recent primary loss, bringing his signature folksy style to the topic. Cassidy didn’t qualify for the Republican runoff election scheduled for June 27, finishing third with only 25% of the vote, behind Rep. Julia Letlow and Treasurer John Fleming.

Kennedy said he wouldn’t engage in the upcoming runoff, referring to Letlow and Fleming as “great people.” He noted, “The outcome was predictable—like a line from a song—but the polls indicated for quite a while that Cassidy was in trouble.” Kennedy acknowledged the impact of President Trump’s endorsement of Letlow, indicating Cassidy was aware of the challenges but chose to run nonetheless. He praised Cassidy for being gracious following his concession.

“It was just a runoff between two impressive candidates,” Kennedy continued. “I’m not looking to get involved in that. A wise person knows when to stay silent. Unless things get personal, I’ll be voting like everyone else.” Cassidy was one of the seven Republican senators who voted to convict Trump during his second impeachment trial related to the events of January 6, 2021, and often clashed with Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. over various issues.

Kennedy concluded by acknowledging the substantial influence of Trump’s support, while also recognizing that multiple factors contributed to Cassidy’s situation. “Bill has been in a tough political place for quite some time, and I think everyone understood that, especially after Trump’s comments.” The winner of the runoff will have a strong advantage leading into the general election in November.