Republican Senator Bill Cassidy, who voted to convict President Donald Trump during the 2021 impeachment trial, is now fighting for his political survival. In Saturday’s primary election, he faced a Trump-backed challenger. In this pivotal Louisiana election, President Donald Trump has thrown his full support behind Congresswoman Julia Letlow. He has characterized the incumbent Senator Cassidy as an “untrustworthy disaster.” This report comes from the BBC online.

Most polls indicate that Cassidy is trailing behind his rivals—Letlow and another pro-Trump candidate, State Treasurer John Fleming—in the race. This primary election is being viewed as another test for Trump: specifically, the extent to which he can politically punish Republicans who oppose him. If no candidate secures an outright majority, the top two finishers will face off in a runoff election toward the end of June.

Cassidy, 68, was one of seven Republican senators who voted to convict Trump during his impeachment trial in 2021, following the January 6 attack on the Capitol. Trump was acquitted in the Senate by a vote of 57-43, as the necessary two-thirds majority required for conviction was not reached. Of the seven Republicans who voted to convict Trump, only three remain in the Senate today: Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Susan Collins of Maine, and Bill Cassidy of Louisiana.

During his re-election campaign, the Louisiana senator has attempted to mend his strained relationship with Trump. Speaking to reporters last week, he remarked, “I don’t really think President Trump likes me very much. But we work together very well.” He noted that President Trump subsequently signed into law several bills he had introduced. Although he attempted to highlight his closeness with Trump, in January of this year, President Trump encouraged 45-year-old Julia Letlow to challenge Cassidy. Shortly after voting began in Louisiana on Saturday morning, Trump once again attacked Cassidy and reiterated his support for Letlow.