politics
House Speaker says Republican Party maintains room for dissent after Louisiana primary
House Speaker Mike Johnson stated that the party continues to feature internal disagreements. The comments followed a Senate primary loss by Sen. Bill Cassidy.
May 18, 1:32 PM·1m read1 source
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House Speaker Mike Johnson said Sunday that the Republican Party continues to feature internal disagreements despite the primary loss of Sen. Bill Cassidy. Johnson spoke on Fox News Sunday after Cassidy lost his primary election over the weekend. Trump had endorsed one of Cassidy's rivals following the senator's vote to impeach him in 2021.
"You see dissent here every day. I mean, I deal with it all day long with the smallest margin in history, working through people's philosophical differences and preferences," Johnson said.
Party leadership comments Johnson described the Republican Party as vibrant and positioned to win upcoming midterm elections. He noted that Trump maintains strong influence in Louisiana and across the country. "It's the most powerful endorsement in the history of politics, and it continues to be shown," Johnson said.
Other Republican figures have continued to support candidates who represent different factions within the party. Vice President JD Vance and Sen. Tim Scott have praised Sen. Susan Collins despite her occasional opposition to Trump positions.
Primary outcome Cassidy became the first Republican senator to lose renomination in close to a decade. Trump stated that the loss resulted from Cassidy's impeachment vote. "Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana suffered an unprecedented loss tonight by not even being allowed to run in the Republican Primary," Trump said.
