President Donald Trump has increasingly succeeded in pushing out Republican members of Congress who have rejected his authority over the GOP. But the victories risk complicating his remaining legislative agenda ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) lost his reelection bid last week to a Trump-backed challenger in Louisiana. Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) was defeated in a GOP primary by Trump-backed Ed Gallrein on Tuesday in Kentucky’s 4th Congressional District. Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) is likely to lose the primary runoff against Texas state Attorney General Ken Paxton on May 26. Trump backed Paxton on Tuesday over disagreements with Senate GOP leadership.
The losses could create headaches for Republican leaders navigating razor-thin majorities in Congress. Outgoing lawmakers no longer facing voters have less incentive to align with the White House, potentially threatening GOP efforts to show voters they can govern ahead of a difficult midterm election.
Still, Trump brushed aside those concerns Wednesday before delivering a commencement address at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy in Connecticut.
“They’ll be all right with it. They want to win. I know how to win,” he said. “Some of them don’t know how to win. I know how to win. I think I’ve proven that, haven’t I?”
