Consultant Thomas Massie, a Republican from Kentucky, speaks throughout a marketing campaign occasion forward of a primary election at Veterans Memorial Park in Vanceburg, Kentucky, US, on Monday, Could 18, 2026. Kentucky will maintain a primary election on Could 19.
Jeffrey Dean | Bloomberg | Getty Photos
Ed Gallrein, a former Navy SEAL backed by President Donald Trump, defeated incumbent Rep. Thomas Massie in a Republican primary Tuesday in Kentucky’s 4th congressional district, the newest in a collection of profitable makes an attempt by the president to choose off his political opponents.
The Related Press, NBC Information and different retailers referred to as the race Tuesday night time lower than two hours after the primary polls closed. Massie was down practically 9 proportion factors on the time the race was referred to as.
Massie has represented the district since 2012 and has turn into most often known as a contrarian throughout the ranks of the Home GOP. The Libertarian-leaning conservative led the cost with Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., to launch information associated to intercourse offender Jeffrey Epstein, over the preliminary opposition of Trump. And he is at occasions voted in opposition to Republican priorities on the Home ground.
His independence drew the ire of Trump, who has repeatedly attacked Massie and made it his mission to oust him from workplace.
“The worst Congressman within the lengthy and storied historical past of the Republican Social gathering, is Thomas Massie. He’s an obstructionist and a idiot. Vote him out of workplace tomorrow, Tuesday. It is going to be an awesome day for America! President DJT,” Trump wrote Monday on Fact Social, then reposted on Tuesday.
Massie turns into the newest casualty in Trump’s revenge tour, because the president exhibits he nonetheless holds appreciable sway over the Republican citizens.
Earlier this month, Trump efficiently campaigned to oust a gaggle of Indiana state Republicans who opposed his redistricting push. Sen. Invoice Cassidy, who was one in all seven Republican senators who voted to convict Trump in 2021 after the Home impeached him, completed third within the Louisiana primary over the weekend and won’t advance to a runoff. Trump had supported Rep. Julia Letlow, who completed first within the contest.
On Tuesday, Trump added Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, to the record to be punished for being insufficiently loyal. Trump endorsed Cornyn’s primary opponent, Texas Legal professional Common Ken Paxton.
“John Cornyn is an efficient man, and I labored properly with him, however he was not supportive of me when occasions had been robust and, regardless of having the Most Profitable Financial system within the Historical past of our Nation throughout my First Time period and, with all the many different issues that I completed,” Trump posted to Fact Social.
The primary between Gallrein and Massie was the costliest on report, with $32.6 million spent on adverts in line with AdImpact. Of that, $7.9 million was used to fund assault adverts aimed toward Massie, as cash from Trump allies and pro-Israel teams flooded the district. Massie is an anti-interventionist and has voted in opposition to help to Israel.
On Monday, Protection Secretary Pete Hegseth took the bizarre step of touring to the district to marketing campaign in opposition to Massie, regardless of a federal legislation prohibiting sitting cupboard officers from participating in politics of their official capability.
Protection Division spokesperson Sean Parnell mentioned Hegseth was in Kentucky in his “private capability” and that the looks had been “completely vetted and cleared by attorneys.”
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