Thomas Massie Gets Challenger Hand-Picked By President Trump

Republican Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie will face a serious primary challenge from a Trump-endorsed opponent during the midterms.

Former Navy SEAL and fifth-generation Kentucky farmer Ed Gallrein declared his candidacy to unseat Massie on Tuesday morning with President Donald Trump’s support. The president has vowed to defeat Massie, a frequent Trump critic in the House GOP Caucus who is frequently one of the few Republicans to vote against legislation supported by the president.

Gallrein’s entry into the race was first reported by Fox News Digital.

He justified his decision to challenge Massie by arguing that the representative of Kentucky’s 4th congressional district should be working to help pass the president’s policy agenda, rather than consistently voting against Trump-backed legislation.

Massie notably voted against the president’s signature piece of legislation — the One Big Beautiful Bill Act — in July and joined Democrats in voting against legislation to overhaul the District of Columbia’s lax crime policies.

The libertarian-oriented Republican has frequently bucked