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Trump heralded as GOP 'kingmaker' after Louisiana Senate results rattle party establishment
By Taylor Penley
Published May 18, 2026
President Donald Trump’s influence over the GOP remains as strong as ever, Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., argued Sunday after a Trump-backed candidate topped Louisiana’s high-profile Senate race despite growing media predictions of a brutal midterm cycle.
"I think President Trump is a kingmaker within the Republican Party," Luna told Fox News’ Peter Doocy Sunday.
"I’m not a black piller when it comes to the midterms ... the odds and the wind is in our sails."
Trump-backed Rep. Julia Letlow and Louisiana Treasurer John Fleming topped incumbent Sen. Bill Cassidy in Saturday's GOP primary, according to The Associated Press.
TRUMP SCORES MAJOR REPUBLICAN PRIMARY VICTORY AS CASSIDY OUSTED IN LOUISIANA
Rep. Anna Paulina Luna departed the U.S. Capitol following a series of House votes on March 5 in Washington, D.C. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
Letlow walked away with roughly 45% of the vote. Fleming followed at approximately 28% and Cassidy came in third at just under 25%.
The shakeup offers a glimmer of hope for Trump and his Republican backing as polling has suggested the president’s support has softened in recent months and historical trends have fueled gloomy predictions for the party in power ahead of the midterms.
Luna countered such negative outlooks by noting the number of tossup races has dropped since the 2018 midterms, indicating a growing confidence in the GOP overall.
LIZ PEEK: TRUMP MUST GET HIS MOJO BACK — OR KISS 2026 GOODBYE
President Donald Trump arrives at Joint Base Andrews, Md., on Air Force One on May 15, returning from Beijing where he met with China's President Xi Jinping. (Mark Schiefelbein/AP)
"It doesn't mean that you don't donate, and you don't go up and vote in polls this November, but what it does mean is we have way better polling right now than we did as opposed to 2018," she said.
"In 2018, we had, I think, 30 toss-up races. Now we have 19."
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., also painted an optimistic picture of the president's impact on Sunday.
Johnson told Fox News' Shannon Bream that Trump retains a "huge influence" on his state and on the country at large.
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"You see that over and over in all these elections. It's the most powerful endorsement in the history of politics, and it continues to be shown," he added.
Kennedy, speaking to Peter Doocy on "The Sunday Briefing," similarly suggested the president still has a "huge impact" on Republican politics.
"President Trump's endorsement had a huge, huge impact. There's no question about that," he said.
"But there were other factors and, as I said, Bill's been in trouble politically for over a year, and he knew that, and I don't think anybody was especially surprised — especially after President Trump weighed in."
https://www.foxnews.com/media/trump-heralded-gop-kingmaker-louisiana-senate-results-rattle-party-establishment