Massie defiant as Trump seeks to oust him in primary: "I'm going to win"

Politics GOP Rep. Thomas Massie defiant as Trump seeks to oust him in primary: "I'm going to win" By Ed O'Keefe, Ed O'Keefe Senior White House and Political Correspondent Ed O'Keefe is CBS News' senior White House and political correspondent reporting for all CBS News platforms. He's part of the team covering President Trump and covered all four years of Joe Biden's presidency. From the White House to the campaign trail, O'Keefe's reports stretch from the politics of the moment to how policy enacted in Washington affects the nation and the world. Read Full Bio Ed O'Keefe, Caitlin Yilek Caitlin Yilek Politics Reporter Caitlin Yilek is a politics reporter at CBSNews.com, based in Washington, D.C. She previously worked for the Washington Examiner and The Hill, and was a member of the 2022 Paul Miller Washington Reporting Fellowship with the National Press Foundation. Read Full Bio Caitlin Yilek May 18, 2026 / 7:30 PM EDT / CBS News Add CBS News on Google Republican Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky has faced a barrage of attacks from President Trump heading into Tuesday's primary against former Navy SEAL Ed Gallrein, who has the president's endorsement. But Massie doesn't appear to be sweating it, even after several of Mr. Trump's perceived adversaries have suffered primary defeats stemming from the president's ire — most recently GOP Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana. In the days leading up to the contest in Kentucky's 4th Congressional District, Mr. Trump has labeled Massie "the worst congressman in the history of our country" and has called him "a disloyal, ungracious, and sanctimonious FOOL." He has also threatened to primary other congressional Republicans who have campaigned with Massie, who has voted against several of the president's legislative priorities, opposed the war with Iran and defied him in pushing for the release of the Epstein files. "He knows I'm tough to beat," Massie told CBS News in an interview Monday in his hometown of Vanceburg...