Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) speaks to reporters outside the Capitol as the House was voting in Washington, on Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2025. In an interview on Jan. 7, he slammed “a flimsy constitutional argument” for the United States’ seizure and prosecution of Nicolas Maduro. (Tierney L. Cross/The New York Times)
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Trump-backed challenger Ed Gallrein defeated Republican Rep. Thomas Massie in Kentucky’s high-profile primary Tuesday, according to NBC News projections with about 60% of the vote counted at the time of publication.
The race became a major test of President Donald Trump’s influence over the GOP ahead of November’s midterm elections. Trump targeted Massie after the Kentucky congressman criticized the Iran war and pushed for the release of Justice Department files tied to Jeffrey Epstein.
Trump called Massie “the worst and most unreliable Republican Congressman” in a recent Truth Social post, according to Reuters.
The contest drew more than $30 million in spending, making it the most expensive House primary in U.S. history. Pro-Israel groups and a Trump-aligned super PAC poured millions into efforts to defeat Massie, whose opposition to U.S. aid to Israel sparked backlash.
Gallrein, a former Navy SEAL, campaigned as a loyal Trump ally in the deeply conservative district.
