GOP Rep. Thomas Massie is set to face a Trump-endorsed challenger in his Kentucky district's primary on Tuesday.
Concretely, he will face former Navy SEAL Ed Gallrein after falling out of favor with President Donald Trump, largely due to his opposition on issues like the Epstein files and the war in Iran.
Trump has repeatedly slammed Massie, recently calling him "the worst congressman in the history of our country" and labeling him as "disloyal, ungracious, and sanctimonious FOOL."
Trump campaigned with Gallrein in a rally, and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth did so as well on Monday. There, Hegseth accused Massie of "constant obstruction."
Massie has remained defiant, telling CBS News he is "going to win." He went on to question Hegseth's presence in Kentucky, saying: "How much personal time do you have when you're supposed to be monitoring a war in Iran?"
"You don't send the Secretary of War to Kentucky during a war if you think your candidate is up 10 points. That's what you do when you realize your whole campaign is imploding," he added.
Trump-backed forces have poured millions into the effort to defeat Massie, but the congressman has maintained strong fundraising and a durable local brand. Massie told POLITICO that outside spending can change a candidate's profile, but "they're not going to be able to persuade enough of them."
Elsewhere, a recent poll found that while Trump emains the most powerful figure in Republican politics, GOP candidates running in competitive House districts this fall could see their election chances hurt as a result of his endorsement.
POLITICO reported that the survey, conducted by Public First from April 11 to 14 among 2,035 U.S. adults, tested how voters reacted when House candidates were described as being backed by Trump or by groups tied to major political issues, including abortion, Medicare for All, artificial intelligence, cryptocurrency, business taxes, gun restrictions, and Israel policy.
The poll had a margin of error of plus or minus 2.2 percentage points. Trump's endorsement made voters who supported him in 2024 an average of 22% more likely to support a candidate, compared with other endorsements or group backing.
Among voters who supported former Vice President Kamala Harris in 2024, Trump's endorsement made them 55% less likely to support that candidate. That larger backlash among Harris voters outweighed the boost from Trump supporters, making Trump's backing a net negative across all voters in the experiment.
