US Rep. Thomas Massie’s GOP primary in Kentucky is the latest test of Trump’s power over the party
The race has drawn more than $32 million in ad spending as Trump seeks to punish one of the GOP’s last outspoken holdouts.
- On Tuesday, Kentucky voters decide between seven-term incumbent Representative Thomas Massie and Trump-backed challenger Ed Gallrein in the most expensive House primary in history.
- Trump targeted Massie after the congressman repeatedly split with party leadership, including his opposition to the One Big Beautiful Bill Act and his role in forcing disclosure of the Epstein files.
- Pro-Gallrein spending reached $14.3 million while pro-Massie groups spent $10.7 million; endorsements split the field, with Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth backing Gallrein and Senator Rand Paul supporting Massie.
- Following Senator Bill Cassidy's recent defeat in Louisiana, this contest marks the latest stop on Trump's 'vengeance tour,' though supporters argue Massie provides needed 'friction and clarity' in Congress.
- Democrats currently hold an 11-point lead in generic voter preference polls, prompting analysts to warn that prioritizing intraparty discipline could hurt Republican prospects heading into November.
48 Articles
48 Articles
Republican Congressman Thomas Massie is challenging Donald Trump's candidate in Tuesday's Kentucky primary.
Trump's revenge tour comes for Massie
Today's Kentucky primary is President Trump's biggest test yet of whether his iron grip on the Republican base can hold even as war and inflation batter his national standing.Why it matters: Trump is trying to take out longtime antagonist Thomas Massie in the most expensive House primary in history — a contest that will show whether his iconoclastic brand of libertarian politics still has a place in the GOP. Until now, the seven-term Massie had …
Trump loyalty tests, major battlegrounds and more: What to watch in Tuesday’s elections
President Donald Trump’s campaign to suppress dissent in his own party faces its most prominent test yet as he takes aim at Rep. Thomas Massie in Kentucky, while GOP candidates across the country look to leverage the president’s endorsement in key primaries.
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