President Donald Trump’s ongoing campaign to purge Republican dissenters resulted in a historic ouster on Tuesday, as former Navy SEAL Ed Gallrein defeated 14-year incumbent Rep. Thomas Massie in the Republican primary for Kentucky’s 4th Congressional District. The Associated Press called the race at 7:54 p.m., with Gallrein securing 54.4% of the vote compared to Massie’s 45.6%.
The primary generated over $32 million in outside spending, making it the most expensive U.S. House nomination battle in history. This financial influx included $9 million from pro-Israel groups, such as the Republican Jewish Coalition, and over $7 million from Trump-aligned political action committees funded by billionaires Miriam Adelson and Paul Singer.
Massie addressed the outside financial influence directly during his concession speech. “I would have come out sooner, but I had to call my opponent and concede, and it took a while to find Ed Gallrein in Tel Aviv,” Massie told supporters Tuesday night.
The incumbent provoked opposition by operating as an independent conservative and clashing with the party establishment. Massie publicly opposed the ongoing war against Iran over high costs and congressional approval requirements, pushed for the release of Jeffrey Epstein’s files, and voted against the president’s multitrillion-dollar tax legislation over debt concerns, according to LiveMint.
Trump administration official Steven Cheung publicly celebrated Massie’s defeat online immediately following the race call. “Do not ever doubt President Trump and his political power. F**k around, find out,” Cheung wrote. Meanwhile, attendees at Massie’s concession event repeatedly chanted “28! 28!”, encouraging the ousted congressman to mount an independent presidential run in 2028.
Massie’s defeat concludes a congressional career that began in 2012. His exit mirrors the recent primary defeat of Louisiana Senator Bill Cassidy, continuing a wider pattern of Trump allies successfully removing incumbent Republicans who break from the primary executive agenda.