"Massie, who angered Trump by leading a push to release Justice Department files tied to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and emerged as an outspoken critic of the war with Iran, was defeated by Ed Gallrein, a former Navy SEAL backed by the president and bolstered by heavy spending by pro-Israel groups."
"With 99% of the votes counted, Gallrein had won 54.9% of the total to Massie's 45.1%, according to CNN. The contest - the most expensive House of Representatives primary in history, with $32 million in ad spending - offered the latest evidence of Trump's hold over Republicans. It followed the ouster 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 T.J. Litafik, a Kentucky-based Republican strategist. 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 gas prices raise questions about the party's chances with the broader electorate in November's midterm elections."
"Massie's clashes with Trump began to build in 2025 when he was one of only two House Republicans to vote against the "Big Beautiful Bill," the president's signature tax and spending package, and when he successfully led a bipartisan push to force a public release of the so-called Epstein files. His stance against the Iran war and aid to Israel further drew Trump's ire and a surge of money from pro-Israel groups, with the Republican Jewish Coalition, the American Israel Public Affairs Committ"
Representative Thomas Massie of Kentucky lost his primary race, with Ed Gallrein winning 54.9% to Massie’s 45.1% as 99% of votes were counted. The result followed Massie’s conflicts with Donald Trump, including opposition to the “Big Beautiful Bill” and efforts to force public release of Justice Department files tied to Jeffrey Epstein. Massie also criticized the war with Iran and opposed related aid to Israel, drawing Trump’s ire and attracting heavy spending from pro-Israel groups. The contest involved $32 million in ad spending and was described as the most expensive House primary in history. The defeat reinforced Trump’s influence over Republican primary voters and activists.
Read at Irish Independent
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