Washington, May 16 (AFP) - U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy's bid for a third term was thwarted today as he lost the Republican primary to a challenger backed by former President Donald Trump, once again highlighting Trump's powerful influence over the party. Agence France-Presse reports that Trump publicly endorsed Cassidy's opponent in retaliation for Cassidy's vote to impeach him five years ago. According to projections from CNN and NBC News, Cassidy finished third in today's primary, trailing Trump-backed U.S. Representative Julia Letlow and Louisiana State Treasurer John Fleming, officially eliminating him from the June 27 runoff. Trump congratulated Letlow on his Truth Social platform tonight for running a great campaign and defeating an incumbent senator with a record number of votes. Trump also celebrated Cassidy's defeat, stating in a subsequent post: 'He betrayed the people who helped elect him, and now it's widely known. Glad to see his political career end here!' Amid public dissatisfaction with the economy and divisions within the Republican party over the Iran conflict, Trump's national approval ratings have declined. However, his influence remains formidable among the highly conservative voters who dominate Republican primaries. (Compiled by: Hung Pei-ying) 1150517