Trump world cheers, gloats over Massie’s loss to Gallrein in KY-04 primary
President Donald Trump and his supporters are gloating after GOP primary challenger Ed Gallrein trounced incumbent and occasional Trump critic Rep. Thomas Massie in Kentucky’s 4th District.
“Do not ever doubt President Trump and his political power,” White House Director of Communications Steven Cheung posted on X. “F--- around, find out.”
The Massie-Gallrein contest was the nation’s most-watched Tuesday, with more than $32 million spent, making it the most expensive House primary in history, Politico reported.
The Northern Kentucky congressman defied Trump on a number of high-profile issues, including the war with Iran, the files related to sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and the president’s “Big, Beautiful Bill.”
Chris LaCivita, Trump’s 2024 co-campaign manager, tagged Massie in a social media post around the time the race was called, just before 8 p.m.
“Hey, @MassieforKY ...,” he wrote alongside a photo of Trump holding up his middle finger.
Key Trump ally and advisor Alex Bruesewitz, who worked for and supported former U.S. Senate candidate Nate Morris before he dropped out, made a comment on social media influencers supporting Massie. Many came to the district in the days leading up to election night.
“The Thomas Massie race proved that a lot of ‘influencers’ on this app have no real world influence,” Breusewitz wrote on X.
Bruesewitz’s political firm was tied to several influencers on X making seemingly coordinated posts promoting Morris before he dropped out.
Massie regularly criticized Gallrein for donations supporting him made by pro-Israel individuals and organizations. Massie opposed most all forms of foreign aid coming from America, including to Israel, a longtime U.S. ally.
The American Israel Public Affairs Committee, known as AIPAC, cheered Gallrein’s victory in a post to X.
“Ed Gallrein’s victory in KY and Clay Fuller’s win in GA ensures two outspoken pro-Israel voices are positioned to fill seats previously held by outspoken detractors, Thomas Massie and Marjorie Taylor Greene. Our community was proud to help pro-Israel candidates win these races,” they wrote.
In addition to Gallrein, Trump’s other picks in Kentucky — a state he won by 30 percentage points when he regained the White House in 2024 — won easily. Rep. Andy Barr trounced former Attorney General Daniel Cameron in the GOP primary for U.S. Senate and former state senator Ralph Alvarado coasted to win the Republican nomination to Barr’s Central Kentucky seat.
