The Republican Party of Louisiana took swift action to punish GOP Senator Bill Cassidy for voting to convict former President Donald Trump in his Senate trial for fueling the Capitol riots.
“The Louisiana Republican Party Executive Committee has unanimously voted to disapprove Senator Bill Cassidy for his vote cast earlier today to condemn former President Donald J. Trump on the charge of impeachment,” the party said late Saturday. in a statement.
Cassidy was one of seven Republican senators who broke ranks to vote with all Democrats in the Senate to condemn Trump on the single charge of “instigating an uprising” for his role in storming the Capitol at 6 January in which five people were killed.
The final vote was 57-43, far behind the 67 votes needed to condemn Trump in the chamber.
“Our constitution and our country is more important than one person,” Cassidy said in a statement Saturday. “I voted to convict President Trump for being guilty.”
The vote of the executive committee against Cassidy was unanimous.
“We condemn, in the strongest possible terms, Senator Cassidy’s vote today to condemn former President Trump,” said members. Fortunately, clearer heads prevailed and President Trump has been cleared of the charges brought against him.
Cassidy joined six Republican senators – Richard Burr from North Carolina, Susan Collins from Maine, Lisa Murkowski from Alaska, Mitt Romney from Utah, Ben Sasse from Nebraska and Pat Toomey from Pennsylvania – to convict.
Louisiana’s other Republican senator, John Kennedy, voted to be acquitted.
“Impeachment is not supposed to be a political sport where one party seeks advantage over the other at the expense of the country. The earnings of the Democrats cause were not even close, ”he said.
Executive Committee secretary Mike Bayham said retaliation against Cassidy “could not wait.”
“Many Republicans believe this was treason and that immediate action was required,” he told the USA Today Network.
Cassidy won reelection to a six-year term in November.
Other Republicans in the House and Senate, including Sasse and Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming have been criticized by their state parties.
Cheney was one of 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach Trump on January 13.
With pole wires