President Donald Trump just dropped a political bombshell by endorsing a possible challenger to Rep. Thomas Massie in Kentucky’s 4th District, shaking up an already contentious GOP primary landscape, as Politico reports.
Through a fiery post on Truth Social last Friday evening, Trump threw his weight behind Ed Gallrein, a former Navy SEAL, as a potential rival to the six-term congressman, despite Gallrein not yet confirming his candidacy.
For months, Trump has been vocal about his desire to see Massie replaced, a feud rooted in the congressman’s opposition to a major GOP legislative package that Trump hails as a landmark achievement on Capitol Hill.
Trump’s frustration with Massie isn’t new, and he’s been teasing plans to oust the representative for some time, viewing him as an obstacle to the broader conservative agenda.
Enter MAGA KY, a super PAC backed by two of Trump’s top advisors, which has already poured $1.8 million into efforts to undermine Massie’s standing in the district.
Now, with Trump’s endorsement of Gallrein—complete with a photo of the two clutching red MAGA hats in the Oval Office—the pressure on Massie is reaching a boiling point.
Gallrein, praised by Trump for his military service, is positioned as a fighter on key issues like border security and crime, though his political track record includes a narrow loss in a GOP primary for state Senate last year.
“I’m honored by President Trump’s support,” Gallrein said in a statement on Saturday, adding, “I will make an announcement on what’s next soon!”
While that sounds promising for Trump loyalists, the lack of an official candidacy declaration leaves some wondering if this is more sizzle than steak—at least for now.
On the flip side, Massie isn’t sitting idly by; he’s turned Trump’s criticism into a fundraising goldmine, pulling in a record $768,000 from July through September, per a recent Federal Election Commission filing.
Meanwhile, Massie is pushing a discharge petition to force a vote on releasing the Justice Department’s full file on Jeffrey Epstein, a move that’s drawn ire from White House officials and senior House Republicans who are pressuring colleagues to withdraw support.
With 218 signatures needed, Massie is close, but the behind-the-scenes arm-twisting to derail his effort shows just how much establishment heat he’s facing.
Before settling on Gallrein, Trump’s team vetted another Navy SEAL, now-state Senator Aaron Reed, who even visited the White House over the summer, though Trump wasn’t fully sold on his candidacy after their meeting.
Some party insiders are also nudging former Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron, currently in the race to replace retiring Sen. Mitch McConnell, to pivot and take on Massie instead—a long shot, but a sign of how desperate some are to see a change.
As for Massie, he’s not mincing words about Trump’s latest pick, stating, “After having been rejected by every elected official in the 4th District, Trump’s consultants clearly pushed the panic button with their choice of failed candidate and establishment hack Ed Gallrein.” Ouch—talk about throwing a rhetorical haymaker, though it’s clear Massie sees this as more noise than threat.
