Trump turns sights on Bill Cassidy, Thomas Massie after decisive Indiana primary victories
After taking out five Indiana state senators who opposed his push for congressional redistricting, President Donald Trump and his allies are now moving on to two other top targets in...
By Fox News · Fox News
After taking out five Indiana state senators who opposed his push for congressional redistricting, President Donald Trump and his allies are now moving on to two other top targets in upcoming Republican primaries. They are Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, who voted to convict Trump in his 2021 Senate impeachment trial, and Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, a vocal GOP critic of the president. The decisive victories this week in reliably red Indiana scored by Trump-backed challengers were the latest sign that the president's immense grip on the Republican Party remains rock solid. "I think Indiana sent a message to a lot of folks," veteran Republican campaign strategist Matt Gorman told Fox News. TRUMP STRIKES BACK: GOP LAWMAKERS WHO OPPOSED PRESIDENT ON REDISTRICTING PAY PRICE Gorman, who has advised GOP presidential campaigns and top members of Congress, said the results in Indiana show that "Trump's power within the party is unequivocal." Five months ago, Republicans in the GOP-dominated Indiana state Senate withstood immense pressure from Trump and his allies and voted down congressional redistricting, which would have given Indiana two more right-leaning U.S. House seats ahead of the midterms. Eight of those state senators who are up for re-election this year faced GOP primary challenges. And seeking retribution, the president endorsed challengers to seven of those eight lawmakers. Five of the Trump-endorsed candidates won, with just one incumbent surviving and one race still too close to call. The political world was closely watching Indiana's primary because it was the first of a series of major tests this month of Trump's endorsement power in GOP nomination showdowns, and the president cleared his first hurdle with ease. DEMOCRACY ’26: STAY UP TO DATE WITH THE FOX NEWS ELECTION HUB Trump-allied groups that supported the Trump challengers and targeted the GOP incumbents spent over $10 million in Indiana as they poured resources in the races. The intraparty battl…