Headline Roundup • January 21st, 2026
Trump Endorses Julia Letlow Over Bill Cassidy in Louisiana GOP Senate Primary
Summary from the AllSides News Team
President Donald Trump has endorsed Rep. Julia Letlow (R-LA) over Senator Bill Cassidy (R-LA) in the upcoming Louisiana Republican Senate primary.
The Details: Trump made the endorsement preemptively on Saturday, and Letlow announced her candidacy on Tuesday morning. Letlow has served as US Representative for Louisiana's 5th congressional district since 2021, after her husband, Luke Letlow (R-LA), died from COVID-19 just weeks after winning a congressional race in 2020. Letlow made her announcement at a breakfast meeting with business leaders. Senator Cassidy, who is already facing several other primary challengers, said that Letlow had called him to share the news.
Key Quote: On Saturday, in a post on X, Trump said, ""Should she decide to enter this RACE. Julia Letlow has my Complete and Total Endorsement. RUN, JULIA, RUN!!!" On Tuesday, Letlow posted, "Today, I am announcing my candidacy for the United States Senate to ensure the nation we leave our children is safer and stronger."
For Context: Trump has been critical of Cassidy after the senator voted to convict Trump in his second impeachment trial in February of 2021. Cassidy has since tried to repair his relationship with Trump by supporting the nomination of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary, despite Cassidy's advocacy for vaccines.
How the Media Covered It: In an opinion piece in National Review (Right bias), Noah Rothman criticized Cassidy's vote on Kennedy's nomination and, in a post on X, conservative podcast Live From Studio 6B, called Letlow the "worst choice" and said, "Trump's endorsements continue to prioritizing personal loyalty over strict conservatism. Sad."
Written by the AllSides staff (of humans). Learn more. Suggest an improvement to this summary.
Featured Coverage of this Story
Al Drago/Reuters
Three days after President Donald Trump exploded a political bomb in Louisiana's Senate race by endorsing Republican Rep. Julia Letlow over incumbent GOP Sen. Bill Cassidy, Letlow announced her campaign.
Letlow declared her candidacy at a closed-door business breakfast in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Tuesday morning, according to Republican sources.
And in a social media post and video that shortly followed, Letlow emphasized that "Louisiana deserves a conservative Senator who will not waver. I am honored to have President Trump's endorsement and trust."
Representative Julia Letlow of Louisiana said on Tuesday that she was officially running for Senate, challenging Senator Bill Cassidy in a Republican primary contest days after President Trump said he would back her.
"RUN JULIA RUN!!!" Mr. Trump wrote in a social media post on Saturday night.
Ms. Letlow made her announcement at a breakfast of business leaders on Tuesday, according to a report in the Greater Baton Rouge Business Report, and she later posted a video online.
Rep. Julia Letlow (R-La.) announced on Tuesday that she's launching a primary challenge to Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.), just days after President Trump preemptively backed her for a Senate run in Louisiana.
"I have fought alongside President Trump to put America first, standing up for our parents, securing our borders, supporting law enforcement, rooting out waste, fraud and abuse that drives up inflation and fighting to fix an education system too focused on woke ideology instead of teaching," she said in a two-minute launch ad.
"A state as conservative as...
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