US President Donald Trump scored another victory in his campaign to punish disloyal Republicans on Tuesday as Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky lost his primary race, underscoring the dangers for lawmakers who defy Trump.
Massie, who angered Trump by leading a push to release Justice Department files on the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, was defeated by Ed Gallrein, a former US Navy SEAL backed by the president and bolstered by heavy foreign spending by pro-Israel groups, according to CNN and NBC News estimates.
The contest — the most expensive House primary in history — provided the latest evidence of Trump’s grip on Republicans. This followed Saturday’s elimination from the primary by another Trump critic, Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, and a loss to state lawmakers in Indiana’s May 5 primary.
“Massie got Trumped. Donald Trump is the sun and moon and star of the Republican Party in Kentucky,” said Republican strategist TJ Litafik.
But rather than signaling a strong appeal for the president, Massie’s defeat underscored Trump’s dominance among party activists who shape primary outcomes, even as his declining approval ratings and high gasoline prices raise questions about the party’s position with more voters in November’s midterm elections.
