Representative Thomas Massie, a Republican from Kentucky, speaks during a campaign event ahead of the primary election at Veterans Memorial Park on Monday, May 18, 2026, in Waynesburg, Kentucky, US. Kentucky will hold a primary election on May 19.
Jeffrey Dean | Bloomberg | getty images
Former Navy SEAL Ed Galren, endorsed by President Donald Trump, defeated incumbent Rep. Thomas Massie in the Republican primary in Kentucky’s 4th congressional district on Tuesday, the latest in a series of successful attempts by the president to oust his political opponents.
The Associated Press, NBC News and other outlets announced the race Tuesday night, less than two hours after the first polls closed. Massey was down nearly nine percentage points when the race was announced.
Massie has represented the district since 2012 and is known as a controversial figure within the ranks of the House GOP. The libertarian-leaning conservative led the charge with Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., to release files related to sex offender Jeffrey Epstein over Trump’s early opposition. And he has repeatedly voted against Republican priorities in the House.
His independence infuriated Trump, who repeatedly attacked Massie and made it his mission to oust him from office.
“The worst Congressman in the history of the Republican Party, by a long shot, is Thomas Massie. He is an obstructionist and an idiot. Vote him out of office tomorrow, Tuesday. It would be a great day for America! President DJT,” Trump wrote on Truth Social on Monday. then reposted On Tuesday.
Massey has become the latest casualty in Trump’s revenge tour, as the president shows he still holds considerable influence over Republican voters.
Earlier this month, Trump successfully campaigned to oust a group of Indiana state Republicans who opposed his redistricting effort. Senator Bill Cassidy, who was one of seven Republican senators who voted to convict Trump after the House impeached him in 2021, finished third in the Louisiana primary over the weekend and will not advance to the runoff. Trump had endorsed Representative Julia Letlow, who placed first in the contest.
On Tuesday, Trump added Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, to the list to be punished for insufficient loyalty. Trump endorsed Cornyn’s primary opponent, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.
“John Cornyn is a good man, and I worked well with him, but he did not support me when times were tough and despite having the most successful economy in the history of our country and many other things I accomplished during my first term.” Trump posted For true social.
The primary between Gallien and Macy’s was the most expensive on record, with $32.6 million spent on ads. ad effect. $7.9 million of that was used to finance attack ads targeted at Macy’s, as money from Trump allies and pro-Israel groups flooded the district. Massey is an anti-interventionist and has voted against aid to Israel.
On Monday, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth took the unusual step of traveling to the district to campaign against Massey, despite a federal law prohibiting sitting Cabinet officials from engaging in politics in their official capacity.
Defense Department spokesman Sean Parnell said Hegseth was in Kentucky in his “personal capacity” and that the appearance was “thoroughly vetted and cleared by attorneys.”