Rep. Massie is latest GOP incumbent to lose primary after Trump backs challenger
President Trump endorsed former Navy SEAL Ed Gallrein in Kentucky's 4th Congressional District.
Updated on: May 19, 2026 / 8:46 PM EDT / CBS News
Trump-backed Ed Gallrein defeated Rep. Thomas Massie in Kentucky's 4th Congressional District Republican primary on Tuesday, CBS News has projected.
Massie is the latest incumbent Republican to fall in a primary to a challenger endorsed by President Trump, who has successfully targeted a number of Republicans he has deemed his adversaries in recent primaries.
Last week, Massie referred to himself as the "main event" on Mr. Trump's revenge tour.
Massie conceded to Gallrein in a speech Tuesday, closing out a primary race that he quipped "went on longer than Vietnam." He stuck to his guns, highlighting his disagreements with Mr. Trump on aid to Israel, the Iran war and the push to release files on Jeffrey Epstein. He argued that people in Washington "tried to buy my vote" but "couldn't buy it."
Asked about Massie's defeat, Mr. Trump told reporters late Tuesday: "He was a bad guy. He deserves to lose."