A Republican U.S. senator who made an enemy of President Donald Trump has just been put out to political pasture.
Saturday was Primary Election Day in Louisiana, and Republicans in Louisiana have spoken: They do not want Sen. Bill Cassidy to serve a third term.
'It’s nice to see that his political career is OVER!'
With 99% of the vote tallied, Rep. Julia Letlow (R-La.), endorsed by Trump, led with 44.8% of the vote, followed by Treasurer John Fleming with 28.3% of the vote. Letlow and Fleming will face off in a runoff on June 27.
"THANK YOU, LOUISIANA! Louisiana made it clear tonight: we are ready for strong conservative leadership that will stand with President Trump and never waver," Letlow posted to X on Saturday night.
"WE WILL WIN THIS ELECTION FOR THE PEOPLE OF LOUISIANA," Fleming pledged early Sunday morning.
Meanwhile, Cassidy came in a distant third at just 24.8%.
"When you participate in democracy, sometimes it doesn’t turn out the way you want it to. But you don’t pout, you don’t whine, you don’t claim the election was stolen, you don’t find a reason, you don’t manufacture some excuse," Cassidy said after the race was called.
"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."
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Cassidy likely saw his defeat coming. Since at least February, polls from Quantas Insights, Emerson College, and American Pulse have had Cassidy trailing both Letlow and Fleming by several points.
Cassidy's fractured relationship with Trump likely played a key role.
In November 2020, Cassidy coasted to re-election, partially on a "Complete and Total Endorsement" from Trump. However, just three months later, in February 2021, Cassidy was one of seven Republican senators to convict Trump on articles of impeachment related to January 6.
Much has changed in the state and the country since that pivotal vote five years ago — and not in Cassidy's favor.
For one thing, Republican Gov. Jeff Landry, a strong ally of President Trump, was elected in November 2023 and signed a law to implement closed primary elections in Louisiana, beginning in 2026. Previously, Cassidy, who supported Michael Dukakis in 1988 and who once donated to Democrats like former Sen. Mary Landrieu (La.) and former Gov. Kathleen Blanco, could rely on Democrat voters to help him in the Republican primary.
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Then in November 2024, Trump was elected to a second term as president, collecting all eight of Louisiana's electoral votes after carrying 60% of the vote there.
And like the elephant on the Republican Party logo, Trump never forgets.
As far back as October 2023 and all the way up until Primary Election Day, Trump has been railing against Cassidy on social media, calling him "wacky," "incompetent," "A TOTAL FLAKE," and "a very disloyal person."
Late Saturday night, Trump reveled in Cassidy's ouster: "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! 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!"
Since Trump's return to the Oval Office, Cassidy has made at least one significant overture to Trump, casting the deciding vote in favor of Robert F. Kennedy as health and human services secretary. The senator took heat for that vote, especially considering his background as a physician and his long-standing support of vaccines in general.
That vote was apparently not enough.
Now, the winner of the runoff between Letlow and Fleming will face the winner of the Democrat runoff between Jamie Davis and Gary Crockett in November.
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Secretary of State Marco Rubio reportedly told lawmakers that the Trump administration has aspirations to purchase Greenland from Denmark, tempering rumors that officials are considering forcibly seizing the island.
'The United States is eager to build lasting commercial relationships that benefit Americans and the people of Greenland.'
During a closed briefing on Monday, Rubio and other administration officials briefed lawmakers about the operation to capture Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro and the plans for the country’s future, the Wall Street Journal reported.
Citing individuals said to be familiar with the recent briefing, the WSJ stated that Rubio “played down the idea that the U.S. could seize Greenland by force.” The report claimed that administration officials refused to rule out the possibility of an invasion.
However, the outlet noted that U.S. and European officials have reported no indications that the Trump administration is preparing for a military invasion of the self-governing Danish territory.
President Donald Trump told reporters on Sunday, “We need Greenland from the standpoint of national security, and the European Union needs us to have it — and they know that.”
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“President Trump has made it well known that acquiring Greenland is a national security priority of the United States, and it’s vital to deter our adversaries in the Arctic region,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt stated. “The president and his team are discussing a range of options to pursue this important foreign policy goal, and of course, utilizing the U.S. military is always an option at the commander in chief’s disposal.”
Trump expressed interest in purchasing Greenland during his first term. He has insisted that controlling the island is essential for protecting the Arctic from Russia and China.
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“The United States is eager to build lasting commercial relationships that benefit Americans and the people of Greenland,” a State Department spokesperson told Blaze News. “Our common adversaries have been increasingly active in the Arctic. That is a concern that the United States, the Kingdom of Denmark, and NATO Allies share.”
The spokesperson added that Trump is committed to the United States’ relationship with Greenland, underscored by his decision to designate Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry (R) as special envoy.
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The Louisiana Pharmacy Benefit Manager Monitoring Advisory Council met last month with an unusual guest — one who came with a clear conflict of interest.
Dr. Alex Oshmyansky, founder and CEO of the Mark Cuban-backed Cost Plus Drug Company, was invited to brief the council on PBMs. But his company directly competes with them. No PBM representatives were invited to speak or respond. What could have been an informed policy discussion turned into an unbalanced promotional session for a single competitor — and that does not serve patients.
Pharmacy benefit managers have long been in Mark Cuban’s crosshairs. He claims PBMs create “an inefficient market” and lack transparency. Those complaints underpin his partnership with Oshmyansky to form Cost Plus Drug Company, a business designed to bypass PBMs entirely.
If Louisiana’s leaders want real reform, they must start by restoring fairness — and remembering who the system exists to serve.
At the hearing, Oshmyansky presented his company’s views on PBMs without challenge or rebuttal. The absence of PBM voices left the council with a distorted view of the system it’s supposed to oversee.
That imbalance creates two serious problems.
First, it deprives the council of a complete understanding of how PBMs work — what services they provide, how they negotiate lower drug prices, and how Louisiana’s new PBM regulations are already being implemented. Without hearing from the industry itself, policymakers risk forming conclusions based on partial information and advocacy, not evidence.
Second, when public bodies accept one-sided testimony, patients lose. PBMs manage drug coverage for millions of Americans, ensuring access to affordable medicines and stable pharmacy networks. When their perspective is ignored, regulations may raise costs, reduce access, or disrupt care for the very people the state claims to protect.
The broader political context in Louisiana makes this even more troubling. Gov. Jeff Landry (R) has pushed to ban PBMs entirely — an extreme measure that would upend how prescription coverage operates in the state. Meanwhile, Attorney General Liz Murrill has sued CVS, one of the nation’s largest PBMs, for warning consumers about the potential fallout of such a ban.
These moves reveal a pattern: State leaders are treating PBMs not as partners with critical expertise but as enemies. That approach replaces policymaking with politics and undermines public confidence in fair regulation.
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The PBM industry isn’t above reform. Greater transparency and accountability are necessary. But good policy starts with balance. The council should convene a second meeting — this time with PBM representatives at the table alongside Cost Plus Drug Company. The proceedings should be public and transparent.
Patients deserve policies based on facts, not billionaire-backed bias. Regulation shaped by evidence, not resentment, is how states protect health, affordability, and trust.
If Louisiana’s leaders want real reform, they must start by restoring fairness — and remembering who the system exists to serve.
The Trump administration's Immigration and Customs Enforcement has expanded its detention space to yet another state, after already opening facilities in Florida, Indiana, Nebraska, and Texas.
ICE has officially opened the "Louisiana Lockup" within the Louisiana State Penitentiary. This facility was created through a partnership with the notorious prison to utilize an unused section, expanding ICE's capacity by 416 beds. The DHS plans to house the "worst of the worst" illegal immigrants at this facility.
'If you are in this country illegally, you could find yourself in the Louisiana Lockup.'
DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, Attorney General Pam Bondi, ICE Deputy Director Madison Sheahan, and Governor Jeff Landry (R) plan to host a press conference on Wednesday afternoon to discuss the new facility.
"To the worst of the worst: Welcome to the LOUISIANA LOCKUP," Landry wrote in a post on X ahead of the press conference.
"Criminal illegal aliens beware: Louisiana Lockup is where your time in America ends," Landry said. "Louisiana Lockup will give ICE the space it needs to lock up some of the worst criminal illegal aliens — murderers, rapists, pedophiles, drug traffickers, and gang members — so they can no longer threaten our families and communities. This facility fulfills President Trump's Make America Safe Again promise. I want to thank President Trump, Secretary Kristi Noem, Attorney General Pam Bondi, and Deputy ICE Director Madison Sheahan for their leadership and partnership. Together, we're making Louisiana and America safer."
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"If you are in this country illegally, you could find yourself in the Louisiana Lockup," the DHS wrote on social media. "Avoid arrest and self deport now using the CBP Home App."
The department told Fox News that 51 immigrants have already been moved to the detention center.
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"Today, we're announcing a new partnership with the state of Louisiana to expand detention space," Noem stated. "Thank you to Governor Landry for his partnership to help remove the worst of the worst out of our country. If you are in America illegally, you could find yourself in CECOT, Cornhusker Clink, Speedway Slammer, or Louisiana Lockup. Avoid arrest and self-deport now using the CBP Home App."
CECOT — Centro de Confinamiento del Terrorismo — is a maximum-security prison in El Salvador where the Trump administration transferred suspected gang members.
Blaze News reached out to the DHS for comment.
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Amid his stunning success at reducing crime in Washington, D.C, President Donald Trump has floated the idea of sending federal law enforcement agents to yet another deep-blue city with a violent crime problem — instead of to Chicago.
On Wednesday, Trump indicated that he may first send federal agents down south to New Orleans on account of his strong relationship with Republican Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry.
'With a crime rate of 65 per 1,000 residents, New Orleans has one of the highest crime rates in America.'
"We’re making a determination now, do we go to Chicago, or do we go to a place like New Orleans, where we have a great governor, Jeff Landry, who wants us to come in and straighten out a very nice section of this country that’s become quite tough, quite bad?" Trump said from the Oval Office.
"So we’re going to be going to, maybe, Louisiana, and you have New Orleans, which has a crime problem. We’ll straighten that out in about two weeks. It will take us two weeks — easier than D.C."
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- YouTube
Outlets initially balked at Trump's description of New Orleans as "quite tough" and "quite bad," citing statistics that suggest crime fell slightly in 2024 and significantly since 2022. However, other crime indices show that New Orleans does indeed have "a crime problem," as Trump said.
Neighborhood Scout said that "with a crime rate of 65 per 1,000 residents, New Orleans has one of the highest crime rates in America." The database rated New Orleans a 1 out of 100 where 100 is the safest possible. In a 2023 version of its top 100 most dangerous cities in America, Neighborhood Scout listed New Orleans at 33.
It also happens to be one of the most Democratic. According to World Population Review, New Orleans is among the top 20 most liberal cities in America, coming in at number 17.
Blaze News reached out to the offices of Gov. Landry and NOLA Mayor LaToya Cantrell (D) to see whether they would cooperate with any type of federal law enforcement help, but neither office responded.
Even with the ongoing violence in cities like New Orleans and strong resistance from Illinois Democrats like Gov. JB Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, Trump still seems determined to assist the crime-beleaguered residents of Chicago.
"We can straighten out Chicago. All they have to do is ask us to go into Chicago," he said.
"We don’t have the support of some of these politicians. But I’ll tell you who is supporting us, the people of Chicago, and I sort of want them to let it be known they have incompetent people."
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Pharmacy benefit managers like CVS are going after President Donald Trump's allies who are seeking meaningful health care reforms for their constituents.
Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders (R) and Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry (R) have become the primary target of PBMs, which are threatened by their push to implement reforms in drug costs. Threatened by MAGA allies, PBMs have now escalated these conflicts to legal disputes.
'These massive corporations are attacking our state because we will be the first in the country to hold them accountable.'
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In April, Huckabee Sanders signed legislation banning PBMs from "engaging in anticompetitive practices" by owning pharmacies. PBMs are tasked with negotiating drug prices between pharmacies and insurance companies, but by buying up pharmacies, they are able to take advantage of the health care system and inflate the cost of pharmaceuticals, pushing competitors out of business, according to Huckabee Sanders' press release.
“For far too long, drug middlemen called PBMs have taken advantage of lax regulations to abuse customers, inflate drug prices, and cut off access to critical medications," Huckabee Sanders said in a statement. “Not any more. These massive corporations are attacking our state because we will be the first in the country to hold them accountable for their anticompetitive actions, but Arkansas has never been afraid to be a conservative leader for America.”
The Pharmaceutical Care Management Association promptly retaliated and filed a lawsuit challenging the legislation, calling it a "fundamentally flawed law" that they say "could shutter pharmacies, restrict access to critical medications for patients and families, increase health care costs, and eliminate jobs."
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Landry has become involved in his own legal disputes with PBMs. Landry, alongside Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill, filed three separate lawsuits against CVS in June for allegedly interfering with legislation that also would have prevented PBMs from owning and simultaneously operating pharmacies.
"PBMs are not health care providers," Landry said. "They are corporate profiteers inserted into the most intimate part of your life and your health."
Although several of Trump's allies have been targeted by PBMs, criticism of the pharmaceutical industry is generally bipartisan.
Mark Cuban recently called out Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts for claiming that Big Pharma is responsible for high drug costs when, he says, PBMs are the real culprit.
"It's because PBMs corrupt healthcare," Cuban said in a post on X. "Big Pharma wishes they could set their own pricing. They don't. PBMs control formularies and manipulate prices, in exchange for providing pharma access to patients. It's how they maximize rebate revenue. In fact, 3 PBMs NEGOTIATE MORE THAN 90% OF REBATES for commercial insurance plans. That's your area of expertise, and you have done nothing."
Cuban's criticisms promptly earned the unlikely praise of some of the most prominent voices in MAGA world.
"Didn’t think I’d be RTing Mark for a while, but he’s 100% right on this issue," Donald Trump Jr. replied in a post on X.
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Landry is mulling a special session of the legislature to look at ways lawmakers can 'take more control over the court system' in New Orleans since the city is incapable of self-governance.
The states pushing legislation to display the Ten Commandments in public schools are all but guaranteed to end up at the Supreme Court.
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