Massie defiant as Trump seeks to oust him in primary: "I'm going to win"
Massie said the president is worried about his preferred candidate Ed Gallrein's chances in the Kentucky race.
Updated on: May 18, 2026 / 9:56 PM EDT / CBS News
Republican Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky has faced a barrage of attacks from President Trump heading into Tuesday's primary against former Navy SEAL Ed Gallrein, who has the president's endorsement.
But Massie doesn't appear to be sweating it, even after several of Mr. Trump's perceived adversaries have suffered primary defeats stemming from the president's ire — most recently GOP Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana .
In the days leading up to the contest in Kentucky's 4th Congressional District, Mr. Trump has labeled Massie "the worst congressman in the history of our country" and has called him "a disloyal, ungracious, and sanctimonious FOOL." He has also threatened to primary other congressional Republicans who have campaigned with Massie, who has voted against several of the president's legislative priorities, opposed the war with Iran and defied him in pushing for the release of the Epstein files.
"He knows I'm tough to beat," Massie told CBS News in an interview Monday in his hometown of Vanceburg, Kentucky. " He's literally losing sleep over this race, because he's in with both feet. I think their polling shows what our polling shows, which is there's a better than half chance that we're going to win this race."
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth campaigned with Gallrein earlier Monday in a hotel ballroom across the street from the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky Airport, using a 23-minute appearance to accuse Massie of "constant obstruction." Hegseth said he was there in his personal capacity, and after stopping earlier Monday at the Fort Campbell Army Base, though the visit marked a break from military officials' longstanding practice of avoiding partisan politics.