Bye Bye, Bill

President Donald Trump closed in on another victory May 16 in his quest to purge the Republican Party of critics and dissidents ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. Rep. Julia Letlow, the Trump-endorsed candidate, is projected to be the top vote getter in the Louisiana Republican primary for U.S. Senate, besting incumbent Sen. Bill Cassidy, according to Reuters and NBC News. Cassidy, a two-term senator, was trailing Letlow and state Treasurer John Fleming for much of the GOP contest, according to the polls. Under Louisiana law, if no candidate clears the 50% threshold the top two finishers run again in a June 27 runoff. Preliminary election results show Cassidy, a 68-year-old physician, brawling for second place with Fleming, a former Trump administration official from the president’s first term. With nearly two-thirds of the Pelican State tally counted, Letlow was holding steady with about 44% of the vote versus Fleming’s roughly 28% and Cassidy’s approximately 25%.