By Charlie McCarthy | Monday, May 18, 2026
President Donald Trump on Monday urged Kentucky Republican voters to deny “obstructionist” Rep. Thomas Massie’s bid for reelection in Tuesday’s primary.
In a Truth Social post, Trump criticized the Kentucky congressman, who has repeatedly broken with the president on major policy issues, calling Massie “the worst Congressman in the long and storied history of the Republican Party.”
“He is an obstructionist and a fool,” Trump wrote. “Vote him out of office tomorrow, Tuesday. It will be a great day for America!”
The president escalated his attacks a day earlier, accusing Massie of disloyalty and urging Republicans to support challenger Ed Gallrein, a Kentucky farmer and former Navy SEAL who entered the race with Trump’s backing.
“Tom Massie … is the worst and most unreliable Republican Congressman in the history of our Country,” Trump wrote Sunday, comparing him unfavorably to Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., whom many conservatives still criticize for voting to convict Trump over Jan. 6.
Cassidy was decisively defeated in Saturday’s Republican Senate primary in Louisiana.
Trump praised Gallrein as a “successful Kentucky farmer, and American War Hero” who would “never let you down.”
Massie faces one of the toughest primary challenges of his political career as he seeks an eighth full term representing Kentucky’s 4th Congressional District.
While Massie has maintained a fundraising edge, Gallrein has remained competitive after receiving a major boost from Trump and MAGA-aligned conservatives.
Massie has emerged as one of the few Republicans in Congress willing to publicly oppose Trump on key issues, including parts of the president’s tax agenda and recent the Iran war.
He has also drawn attention for pushing efforts to release additional Jeffrey Epstein-related files.
Trump remains overwhelmingly popular in the northern Kentucky district, which backed him by 67% in the 2024 election.
The district spans 21 counties along the Ohio River and has become solidly Republican territory in recent years.
Many conservatives view the race as another test of Trump’s continued influence over the Republican Party heading into the 2026 midterm elections.
The president has increasingly targeted Republicans he considers insufficiently loyal to his America First agenda.
The Kentucky contest comes as Republicans nationwide continue debating the party’s future direction, with many grassroots voters demanding stronger support for Trump’s policies on immigration, taxes, foreign affairs, and government reform.
Tuesday’s Kentucky primary also includes crowded races for the Senate seat being vacated by longtime GOP leader Mitch McConnell, along with multiple congressional and state legislative contests.
Polls close Tuesday evening, with Republican turnout expected to be closely watched as another gauge of Trump’s political strength among GOP primary voters.
