GOP senator warns Republicans will lose future elections if party continues to 'idolize' Trump

Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy (La.) warned Sunday the Republican Party will face continued election losses if the GOP maintains its loyalty to former President Donald Trump.

Cassidy was unanimously censured by the Louisiana Republican Party earlier this month after voting to convict Trump at the former president's second impeachment trial. Cassidy was one of seven GOP senators who voted "guilty."

What did he say?

Speaking on CNN's "State of the Union," Cassidy explained the Republican Party faced critical losses under Trump's leadership.

"Over the last four years, we lost the House of Representatives, the Senate, and the presidency," Cassidy said. "That has not happened in a single four years under a president since Herbert Hoover."

Cassidy added that "campaigns are about winning" — and if Republicans want to win in the future, they must look beyond Trump.

In fact, Cassidy said losing will be the result in 2022 and 2024 if Republicans continue to "idolize" Trump.

"If you're going to win in 2022 and 2024, you have got to speak to voters who didn't vote for us last time," Cassidy explained.

"Now, our policies are great. Before the COVID crisis hit, we had record employment for every group, Hispanics, African-Americans, women, the disabled, high school dropouts, veterans, you name it. We had economic policies that were working," he continued. "So, if that's the case, and we can speak to those policies, to those families, then we will win."

"But if we idolize one person, we will lose. And that's kind of clear from the last election," Cassidy warned.

GOP senator: If we continue to idolize one person, we will losewww.youtube.com

Anything else?

Although Republican politicians remain divided over what role, if any, Trump will play in the future of the GOP, Republicans attending the Conservative Political Action Conference in Florida make a clear statement about Trump on Sunday.

CPAC attendees overwhelmingly selected Trump as their favorite 2024 presidential candidate.

Trump won the CPAC straw poll with 55% of support. Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis was the runner-up with 21%, followed by Republican South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, who won 4% of support.

Nearly every attendee who participated in the straw poll, 97%, approved of Trump's presidential job performance.