Trump-backed challenger defeats Republican rebel Massie in primary | 19 May 2026 | Congressman Thomas Massie, one of the most vocal Republican critics of Donald Trump, has lost his fight for re-election to a challenger endorsed by the president. Ed Gallrein, a former Navy SEAL, will now compete in November’s midterm election after his victory in the Kentucky primary on Tuesday. The contest, the most expensive primary in the history of the House of Representatives, had been widely seen as a key test of President Trump’s decade-long grip on the Republican Party. Massie lost by 55 percent to 45 percent in the vote on Tuesday, marking a major victory for Trump who has successfully ousted a number of dissenting Republicans by endorsing a more loyal challenger.