President Donald Trump has endorsed an opponent to challenge Northern Kentucky Republican U.S. Rep. Thomas Massie.
In a lengthy Friday evening post to Truth Social, Trump said he hoped Ed Gallrein “gets into the Race against Massie” and was highly critical of the incumbent congressman, calling him “a Weak and Pathetic RINO from the Great Commonwealth of Kentucky, a place I love, and won big SIX TIMES” who “must be thrown out of office, ASAP!”
A a former Navy Seal from Shelby County, Gallrein has not formally announced a run in the 4th Congressional District, but the president’s “Complete and Total Endorsement” makes the case for why he should. Shelby County is in the southern part of Kentucky’s 4th Congressional District.
Gallrein lost a competitive Republican primary to state Sen. Aaron Reed in the 7th Senate District last year. Former state Sen. Adrienne Southworth lost the race amid tension within her caucus. Gallrein was seen as the establishment candidate in the primary, having a donation from Republican Senate President Robert Stivers and an endorsement from the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce.
Reed’s name had been floated as a possible challenger to Massie this summer, but he told reporters in August that he was “happy being a senator right now” and was preparing for the 2026 legislative session.
Massie recently toured the congressional district with ally U.S. Sen. Rand Paul for a mix of official and campaign events. During that, Paul, a leader of Tea Party Republicans, said he was ready to endorse Massie and if someone asked about waiting to see who could run against the congressman, “I can’t imagine that they’d even try it.”
In his post, Trump said “the Great People of Kentucky are wise to” Massie’s positions — which are sometimes at odds with the president. Trump said Massie “only votes against the Republican Party, making life very easy for the Radical Left.”
“Unlike ‘lightweight’ Massie, a totally ineffective LOSER who has failed us so badly, CAPTAIN ED GALLREIN IS A WINNER WHO WILL NOT LET YOU DOWN,” Trump said. “Should he decide to challenge Massie, Captain Ed Gallrein has my Complete and Total Endorsement. RUN, ED, RUN — MAGA!”
Massie, whose brand of Republican politics has drawn a loyal base of Libertarian supporters in the congressional district, has been leading the charge to release the federal investigation files on convicted sex offender and financier Jeffery Epstein. Though the president campaigned on declassifying the files, Trump has more recently opposed releasing them.
Earlier this year, Massie also drew the president’s wrath for opposing Trump’s bombing of Iran and voting against the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
Trump has previously vowed to oust Massie from office. A super PAC tied to the president spent more than $1 million on ads against the congressman — without a clear challenger named yet.
After Trump’s endorsement of Gallrein was issued, Massie pushed a fundraising link on X, saying “I can beat this candidate if I have your support.” Earlier this week, the congressman posted the best fundraising numbers of his career, including bringing in nearly $768,000 in contributions from July to September.
Massie told Politico that Gallrein is a “failed candidate and establishment hack” following Trump’s endorsement.
“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,” Massie said. “Ed’s been begging them to pick him for over three months now.”
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Written by McKenna Horsley. Cross-posted from the Kentucky Lantern.
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