What Thomas Massie's Primary Says About Trump's Influence

A Kentucky Republican House primary features Ed Gallrein, a former Navy SEAL endorsed by President Donald Trump, challenging Thomas Massie, a libertarian and occasional Trump apostate. The race has drawn intense attention and escalating hostility, including an antisemitic tirade by William Paul toward Rep. Mike Lawler in Washington, D.C., followed by an apology. Outside groups and donors have poured money into the contest, including attacks on Jewish Republican donor Paul Singer and ads portraying him with antisemitic and homophobic imagery. Additional allegations include claims that Massie offered cash to Cynthia West. The combination of national political figures, inflammatory messaging, and large-scale funding has driven spending to record levels.

"Last week, William Paul, the son of Kentucky senator Rand Paul, approached the Republican congressman Mike Lawler at a bar in Washington, D.C., and began berating him. The subject of Paul's tirade was a House primary in Kentucky where Ed Gallrein, a former Navy SEAL endorsed by President Donald Trump, is attempting to take out Thomas Massie, an iconoclastic libertarian and occasional Trump apostate. Massie, Paul said, is one of only two members of Congress who actually care about America (the other being Paul's father), and his defeat would be the fault of Lawler's "people," by which, it turned out, he meant "you Jews.""

"During his antisemitic rant, Paul also attacked Paul Singer, a Jewish Republican donor who has helped fund the campaign to unseat Massie; a pro-Massie PAC ran an ad depicting Singer as part of an "LGBTQ MAFIA," beneath a rainbow-tinted Star of David. ("SAY 'NO' TO THE FREAKS," the ad continued.) Elsewhere, Cynthia West, a woman who dated Massie for a few months after his wife died, in 2024, alleged that Massie had offered her five thousand dollars in "cow money"-that is, supposedly untraceable cash that Massie, who owns a farm, raised from selling cat"

"The episode was one of a number of ugly-and increasingly ridiculous-story lines to have coalesced around Massie's primary race, which takes place on Tuesday. During his antisemitic rant, Paul also attacked Paul Singer, a Jewish Republican donor who has helped fund the campaign to unseat Massie; a pro-Massie PAC ran an ad depicting Singer as part of an "LGBTQ MAFIA," beneath a rainbow-tinted Star of David."

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