USA · 20 May, 2026 · 2 min read
U.S. Justice Department Indicts Raúl Castro Over 1996 Shooting Down Two Civilian Planes
Ed Gallrein defeated Rep. Thomas Massie in Kentucky. Trump-backed candidates won primaries in multiple states.
Why Massie lost: Trump retribution vs broader party testing.
9 of 10 outlets skipped it: durbin urged DOJ to reconsider payments from anti-weaponization fund.
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Shifts emphasis between Trump loyalty enforcement and election spending dynamics.
Indictment and primaries
The U.S. Justice Department announced the indictment of former Cuban President Raúl Castro in connection with the 1996 shooting down of two civilian planes that killed four Cuban Americans, as NBC News reported in its live updates.
In the same NBC News update, President Donald Trump scored several primary wins yesterday, including a Kentucky House race where NBC News projects Rep. Thomas Massie lost to Trump-backed Navy veteran Ed Gallrein.
NBC News also projected that Rep. Andy Barr, riding an endorsement from Trump, won the Republican primary in the race for retiring Sen. Mitch McConnell’s seat in Kentucky.
The NBC News live update further noted that Rep. Barry Moore, who received Trump's backing, advanced to a Republican Senate primary runoff against Jared Hudson in Alabama.
NBC News also reported that former Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., died today at 86, his sister confirmed to NBC Boston.
Durbin and Fitzpatrick
Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., urged the Justice Department to reconsider its openness to providing money from the Trump administration’s new $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization” fund to Jan. 6 rioters who attacked police defending the Capitol.
Durbin wrote that “The notion of the federal government doling out compensation to rioters who sought to disrupt the peaceful transfer of power” was “absurd and offensive,” in a letter first shared with NBC News.
Republican Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pa., also sought answers about the fund, warning that “A massive discretionary fund, with no oversight or approval from Congress” represents “a dangerous backsliding” in transparency.
NBC News reported that the fund was created as part of settlement with Trump and two of his sons to drop their legal claims against the IRS, and that those who claim the government unfairly targeted them, including Jan. 6 defendants, could be eligible to collect.
NBC News said Durbin demanded transparency about who is eligible, asking for documents, communications and materials detailing eligibility requirements by May 28.
Massie’s loss and GOP
In Kentucky, Representative Thomas Massie lost his primary race to Trump-backed former Navy SEAL Ed Gallrein, a result Al Jazeera described as a major political victory for the Republican leader.A
“If the legislative branch always votes with the president, we do have a king.”
Al Jazeera said Massie had angered Trump by publicly opposing military action against Iran and sponsoring a bill that resulted in the release of files linked to convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.A
Al Jazeera also quoted Massie’s criticism of the outside spending, saying, “They’re sending the secretary of war to my district tomorrow. AThat’s why the president’s losing sleep and tweeting about this.”
PBS and the Associated Press reporting described Massie’s defeat as a message to Republican critics, noting that Trump-backed challengers won after “dislodging Rep. Thomas Massie in Kentucky's primary.”
PBS quoted Massie warning about party loyalty, saying, “If the legislative branch always votes with the president, we do have a king.”