Massie Gets Defeated in Kentucky GOP Primary After Trump-Backed Opposition

(MENAFN) Thomas Massie lost his Republican primary race in Kentucky on Tuesday after facing intense opposition backed by pro-Israel groups and Donald Trump, according to election projections.

Challenger Ed Gallrein secured victory with approximately 55% of the vote, while Massie received around 45%, based on results reported after most ballots had been counted.

Following his defeat, Massie delivered a sharp concession speech criticizing outside influence and campaign spending. He said:
"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,"

He continued:
"For 14 years, those SOBs in Washington tried to buy my vote. They couldn't buy it. Why did the race get so expensive? Because they decided to buy the seat, and it got real expensive for 'em."

The contest drew national attention after Trump strongly backed Gallrein in an effort to remove Massie, whom he had repeatedly accused of disloyalty and obstruction within the Republican Party.

In a post made ahead of the election, Trump wrote:
"The worst Congressman in the long and storied history of the Republican Party, is Thomas Massie. He is an obstructionist and a fool. Vote him out of office tomorrow, Tuesday,"

According to reports, Trump also dispatched Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to campaign for Gallrein in Kentucky shortly before the vote, a move that sparked legal and ethical questions regarding the involvement of a senior Pentagon official in a partisan political campaign.

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