Trump-Backed Challenger Ousts Thomas Massie in Kentucky Showdown
President Donald Trump added another victory to his growing list of successful Republican primary battles Tuesday after a candidate he personally backed defeated one of his most outspoken critics in Congress. According…
President Donald Trump added another victory to his growing list of successful Republican primary battles Tuesday after a candidate he personally backed defeated one of his most outspoken critics in Congress.
According to Fox News, Ed Gallrein, a former Navy SEAL and Kentucky farmer endorsed by Trump, defeated Rep. Thomas Massie in Kentucky’s Republican primary.
The race quickly became one of the GOP’s most closely watched contests of the year as President Donald Trump ramped up efforts to oust Republican lawmakers who have opposed parts of his agenda. The results were first reported by The Associated Press.
Gallrein’s win marked a major political setback for Massie, a libertarian-minded conservative who has repeatedly clashed with the president on spending, foreign policy, and military issues.
In the days leading up to the primary, Trump ramped up attacks against Massie while heavily promoting Gallrein, whom he had encouraged to enter the race.
The president blasted Massie on social media, calling him the “worst ‘Republican’ congressman in history.”
Gallrein echoed Trump’s criticism during an interview with Fox News Digital.
“My opponent, he’s running against President Trump and the agenda that has been put forward by the Republican Party,” Gallrein said.
Massie, however, insisted that grassroots conservatives in his district still strongly supported him despite Trump’s involvement.
“I’ve got the groundswell here, like my events. I’ve got 100–200, sometimes 300 people show up,” Massie told Fox News Digital. “My opponent had to cancel events because he couldn’t get enough people, you know, to fill up a Dairy Queen, half a Dairy Queen.”
Massie also pointed to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth campaigning for Gallrein shortly before Election Day as evidence the race was competitive.
“They wouldn’t be sending the Secretary of War to my congressional district if I weren’t,” he added.
Trump had targeted Massie for months, previously labeling him “disloyal” during a March campaign stop in Kentucky.
Massie became a frequent target of criticism from Trump allies after opposing the president’s sweeping tax and spending package over concerns about budget deficits.
He also helped push efforts demanding the Department of Justice release Epstein-related files despite resistance from the White House.
Foreign policy disagreements further deepened the divide between Massie and Trump-aligned Republicans.
Massie repeatedly voted against military aid packages and opposed measures condemning antisemitism, drawing heavy opposition from pro-Israel groups supporting Gallrein’s campaign.
“Here’s the thing, I’ve got nothing against Israel. I just have never voted for foreign aid,” Massie said. “When I said America First, I meant it. I don’t vote for foreign aid to Egypt, to Syria, to Ukraine. I’ve got a flawless record on this, and I’m not going to ruin it by sending foreign aid to one country.”
The Kentucky race followed several recent GOP primaries where Trump-backed candidates defeated Republican incumbents or rivals who had broken with the president.
Massie had previously survived primary challenges in both 2022 and 2024, but Gallrein emerged as his toughest opponent since Massie first entered Congress in 2012.
The Republican nominee is expected to easily win the general election in the heavily Republican district.