Trump-endorsed Ed Gallrein unseats Rep. Thomas Massie in Kentucky GOP primary

2026 ElectionTrump-endorsed Ed Gallrein unseats Rep. Thomas Massie in Kentucky GOP primaryMassie is the latest incumbent to go down under pressure from Trump, after splits over issues including spending, the Iran war and the Epstein files.Listen to this article with a free account00:0000:00Rep. Thomas Massie and challenger Ed GallreinGetty Images; APShareAdd NBC News to GoogleMay 19, 2026, 7:48 PM EDTBy Henry J. GomezFormer Navy SEAL Ed Gallrein has won the Republican primary in Kentucky’s 4th Congressional District over Rep. Thomas Massie, NBC News projects, notching another win for President Donald Trump in his push to eliminate political rivals and roadblocks within his own party.Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.Gallrein beat Massie in the most explosive fight of Trump’s political pressure campaign that wended its way from Indiana and Louisiana to the Bluegrass State this month, all featuring primary challengers endorsed by the president. Gallrein was aided by an extraordinary advertising blitz fueled largely by pro-Trump and pro-Israel groups.First elected to the House in 2012, Massie had become an everpresent thorn in Trump’s side. Trump traveled to the district in March to throw his political weight behind Gallrein while slamming Massie as a “disaster.” Known as an anti-war libertarian and deficit hawk, Massie drew ire from Trump and his allies for opposing the war in Iran, as well as the president’s “big beautiful bill” spending package. Massie, along with Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., also was one of the chief proponents of making public the Justice Department’s files related to investigations of late sex offender — and one-time Trump friend — Jeffrey Epstein.Massie’s prospects of outmaneuvering Trump became even more tenuous over the final days of the race. In Louisiana, Sen. Bill Cassidy, a Republican who similarly got crosswise with Trump, failed to advance from the party’s primary in his re-e...