Trump Threatens Primary Challenge Against Another Republican For Siding With Massie
President Donald Trump threatened to support a primary challenge against Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO) after she hit the campaign trail to support embattled Kentucky Congressman Thomas Massie. In Saturday night Truth Social posts, Trump railed against Republicans backing Massie for “parading around like fools,” calling Boebert “weak-minded.”“Boebert is campaigning for the Worst ‘Republican’ Congressman in the History of our Country, Thomas Massie, of the Great Commonwealth of Kentucky, and anybody who can be that dumb deserves a good Primary fight!” Trump said. “Even though I long ago endorsed Boebert, if the right person came along, it would be my Honor to withdraw that Endorsement and endorse a good and proper alternative,” he said.“Yes, I saw the President’s post. No, I’m not mad or offended. I knew the risks when I agreed to stand by my friend Thomas Massie. I was, and will be, America First, America Always, and MAGA,” Boebert said in response.Before Trump’s threat, the Colorado Republican attempted to thread the needle between her support for both Massie and Trump. “Below is my friend Thomas Massie. He loves America and is fighting to save it. Also below is my friend and President, Donald Trump. He’s put his life on the line to save this great country. I support both of these men. I’ve worked with both to preserve freedom and liberty,” Boebert posted on social media. “And if that makes you angry, bless your heart.” The filing deadline has passed for new candidates to enter the race, and neither of Boebert’s initial primary challengers qualified for the ballot, so she is running unopposed.Massie, long a thorn in the side of Trump, is currently facing the toughest challenge of his political career in the most expensive U.S. House primary of all time.The Kentucky Republican has emerged as a vocal critic of the administration’s handling of the Epstein files, Iran, and the president’s signature “One Big, Beautiful Bill.”Now, Trump is throwing the full weight of his political machine behind Massie’s primary challenger. In January, Trump endorsed Captain Ed Gallrein, a retired Navy SEAL and farmer opposing Massie in Kentucky’s 4th Congressional District.“The man running against Massie, Ed Gallrein, is a true American Patriot, a Farmer from Kentucky, and a Military Hero,” Trump said in a Saturday night social media post. “He is loyal, and MAGA all the way — VOTE FOR ED GALLREIN, AND WIPE AWAY THE STENCH OF ONE OF THE WORST CONGRESSMEN IN THE HISTORY OF OUR GREAT PARTY, THOMAS MASSIE. MAY WE NEVER HAVE TO DEAL WITH HIM AGAIN!”Conventional political wisdom suggests Massie enters Tuesday’s primary with significant structural advantages. The libertarian-minded fiscal hawk has deep roots in the district, riding the Tea Party wave into Congress in 2012 and remaining politically untouchable ever since.Yet, Massie’s tendency to break with Trump is alienating segments of the MAGA faithful.A new Quantus Insights survey shows Gallrein leading Massie 53%-45% among likely Republican primary voters, marking the first public poll to show the Trump-backed challenger ahead. Massie is blaming third-party spending in the race for his slippage in the polls. “After months of beating around the bush, one reporter finally writes the true story of my race and when asked, the lobbyists brag about it,” Massie said of a Politico story titled “A coalition of Israel’s lobbyists and donors is spending tens of millions of dollars in a blatant attempt to buy a KY congressional seat.The home stretch in Kentucky comes after Louisiana Republicans voted to oust Sen. Bill Cassidy, rejecting the incumbent who voted to convict President Donald Trump on impeachment charges. Trump also successfully ousted several state senators in Indiana who voted against redistricting earlier this month.
