Trump Ousts Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie, Backing Ed Gallrein in Primary

Rep. Thomas Massie, a Republican from Kentucky, was ousted in his party’s primary after losing to Trump-backed challenger Ed Gallrein, in a race described as the most expensive US congressional primary election race in history.

“GOP lawmakers brushed aside concerns over President Donald Trump targeting GOP incumbents after Rep”

Fox News

The Guardian reported Massie warned on Sunday that Trump has “disenfranchised” many of the Americans who voted for him in November 2024, as control of US Congress hangs in the balance ahead of the midterms.

Fox News

Massie told Meet the Press on NBC that “It was completely worth it,” adding that he has “seven more months to keep going against the grain” after his defeat.

The Guardian also said Trump treated the primary race as a personal vendetta, calling Massie a “moron” and “loser,” and then declaring after the result: “He was a bad guy. He deserves to lose.”

Fox News Digital reported that GOP lawmakers brushed aside fears that Trump targeting GOP incumbents could backfire, with Rep. Byron Donalds saying, “Primaries happen,” and that Republicans should “move through that” to “the business of the American people.”

In the same coverage, Fox News Digital quoted Sen. John Hoeven saying, “He gets to endorse who he wants to endorse,” while Rep. Beth Van Duyne said, “The fact is that he's been incredibly effective.”

NBC News

NBC News carried Massie’s warning that Republicans are “worried about their own political mortality,” and said he argued the GOP will be “very vulnerable” this fall.

NBC News also quoted Massie saying his split with Trump was “absolutely worth it for me,” while he described the White House ballroom as a “slap in the face of Americans” to moderator Kristen Welker.

The New York Times described Massie’s loss as a test of the president’s power to punish critics, saying Republican primary voters had “no tolerance for Trump dissenters,” even as the party faced danger ahead of the midterms.

It also reported that Ed Gallrein, the retired Navy SEAL who defeated Massie, had vowed to do whatever Trump asks of him when he arrives in Congress next year, while Massie had made no apologies for opposing Trump on the war with Iran or the Epstein files.

The Guardian framed Massie’s warning around constituencies he said Trump had “alienated,” including “Make America healthy again” campaigners, fiscal hawks pushing for sweeping government budget cuts, and voters who don’t want the US engaged in wars.

NBC News added that Massie said Republicans are “disenfranchised” in part because Trump assembled a constituency to win the White House, the Senate majority, and the House majority, and he argued “I don’t think it’s going to be worth it for the party.”