The current representative of Kentucky's fourth district, the anti-Trumpist Thomas Massie, lost the internal election to his rival Ed Gallrein, the candidate backed by President Donald Trump. The Decision Desk platform projected the result of these elections a few hours ago, with just under half of the votes counted.
Massie had become an opponent of Trump several months ago and was noted as one of the establishment lawmakers who voted most against the initiatives pushed by the White House. In Congress, he was criticized for his antisemitism, for his comments on the conflict with Iran, and for coordinating actions with Democrats in the Epstein case to falsely accuse Trump of crimes.
“Can you imagine ‘Congressman’ Thomas Massie publishing an endorsement I gave him many years ago, knowing full well that he was not endorsed, but that I proudly supported Ed Gallrein? The reason is that Massie has turned out to be the worst congressman of the Republican Party. This shows how totally dishonest and desperate Massie is, and I hope voters are not fooled by his deception!" was the last message Trump posted today on his social media before the first official results were known.
Beware, Trump is watching: The president's candidate defeated anti-Trump Congressman Thomas Massie in Kentucky.
Trump and total dominance within the Republican Party
Massie's defeat marks a new victory for Trump in the internal structure of his party. Last week in Indiana, almost all establishment Republican candidates who opposed the president in the debate over the redistricting of congressional districts lost their seats in the state legislature.
In another key victory for Trump's scheme, Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana came in third in his primary and was eliminated from the runoff that will determine the new representative of that state in the Senate. In 2021, Cassidy had voted to convict Trump in the impeachment trial over the events of January 6, aligning at that time with Democrats and a group of Republican senators.
After Massie's defeat in the contest was confirmed, Trump posted a photo with Gallrein to celebrate the victory. Gallrein, a former Navy SEAL, maintained a lower profile than his opponent during the campaign and capitalized on the support Trump gave him to win at the polls.
Beware, Trump is watching: The president's candidate defeated anti-Trump Congressman Thomas Massie in Kentucky.
