Trump’s hand-picked challenger ousts foe in the most expensive US House primary in history
2-MIN READ2-MIN ListenReutersPublished: 8:40am, 20 May 2026US President Donald Trump scored another victory in his campaign to punish disloyal Republicans on Tuesday as congressman Thomas Massie of Kentucky lost his primary race, underscoring the risks for lawmakers who defy Trump.
Massie, who angered Trump by leading a push to release Justice Department files tied to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, was defeated by Ed Gallrein, a former US Navy Seal backed by the president and bolstered by heavy outside spending by pro-Israel groups, according to CNN and NBC News projections.
The contest – the most expensive House of Representatives primary in history – offered the latest evidence of Trump’s hold over Republicans. This followed the ousting in a primary on Saturday of another Trump critic, Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, and losses for dissenting state lawmakers in Indiana primaries on May 5.
“Massie got Trumped. Donald Trump is the sun and the moon and the stars in the Republican Party in Kentucky,” said Kentucky-based Republican strategist T.J. Litafik.
But rather than signal wider appeal for the president, Massie’s defeat underscored Trump’s dominance among party activists who shape primary outcomes, even as his sagging approval ratings and high petrol prices raise questions about the party’s chances with the broader electorate in November’s midterm elections.
