Rep. Thomas Massie lashed out at President Donald Trump Tuesday night after losing a brutal MAGA-backed primary battle that turned into one of the most expensive House races in American history.
The Kentucky Republican took the stage before a roaring crowd just moments after the Associated Press called the race for Trump-backed challenger Ed Gallrein.
“This thing went on longer than Vietnam,” Massie said while mocking the nearly yearlong campaign to remove him from office.
The crowd repeatedly erupted with chants of “America First!” and “No more wars!” as Massie framed himself as a lawmaker punished for refusing to fall in line behind Trump.
“We stirred up something. There is a yearning in this country for someone who will vote for principles over party,” Massie told supporters.
“If the legislative branch always votes with the president, we do have a king,” he warned.
Massie’s loss capped off a brutal months-long political war with Trump that intensified after the Kentucky congressman pushed for the release of Jeffrey Epstein-related records and repeatedly broke with the White House on foreign policy.
The congressman teamed up with California Democrat Ro Khanna to force a House floor vote on the Epstein Files Transparency Act through a discharge petition.
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Several high-profile Trump allies — including Marjorie Taylor Greene, Lauren Boebert and Nancy Mace — publicly backed the push.
But the White House and Justice Department resisted the effort, helping ignite an all-out campaign against Massie.
Trump first publicly declared war on the congressman last summer. His political operation then created a PAC dedicated solely to defeating Massie.
At a March rally in Kentucky, Trump openly mocked the congressman while promising voters he could replace him with almost anyone.
“Give me somebody with a warm body to beat Massie, and I got somebody with a warm body, but a big, beautiful brain, and a great patriot,” Trump said.
Trump later endorsed Gallrein and even dispatched Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to Kentucky to campaign against the incumbent.
Gallrein spent the closing days of the race presenting himself as fully aligned with Trump.
“There has never been a more important time to stand behind our president,” Gallrein said Monday.
The race exploded into the most expensive House primary in U.S. history. According to AdImpact, the contest drew more than $32 million in ad spending.
Gallrein ultimately secured 45,623 votes, or 54.4 percent, while Massie received 38,245 votes, or 45.6 percent, according to the Associated Press.
The outlet officially called the race at 7:54 p.m. Trump celebrated almost immediately.
“We won the Massie thing,” Trump told reporters in video later posted online. “He was a bad guy. He deserved to lose.”
TRUMP TONIGHT MOMENTS AFTER MASSIE'S PROJECTED LOSS: "We won the Massie thing. He was a bad guy. He deserved to lose.”
Here was that clip caught by the CNN pool camera. https://t.co/v0TJHTVx9w pic.twitter.com/SXPmpDg20Q
— Kellie Meyer (@KellieMeyerNews) May 20, 2026
The White House also moved quickly to frame the result as another demonstration of Trump’s overwhelming grip on Republican voters.
“Do not ever doubt President Trump and his political power,” White House communications director Steven Cheung posted on X.
Cheung later amplified a CNN segment featuring senior political data reporter Harry Enten analyzing Trump’s dominance inside the GOP.
“The bottom like is this: Donald Trump is the general of the Republican Party and the Republican primary voters are his soldiers,” Enten said.
.@ForecasterEnten gets it.
“The bottom like is this… Donald Trump is the general of the Republican Party and the Republican primary voters are his soldiers.” pic.twitter.com/Zj7fKchEV1
— Steven Cheung (@StevenCheung47) May 20, 2026
Even after losing his seat, Massie made clear Tuesday night that he still viewed himself as part of a larger political movement inside the Republican Party.
“We stirred up something,” Massie told the crowd. “There is a yearning in this country for someone who will vote for principles over party.”
“We’re just getting started, I like that,” he told supporters.
He also teased a possible future campaign. “We’ll talk about it later,” Massie said while hinting at a 2028 run.
The Kentucky Republican also touted his efforts to expose high profile Epstein associates.
“We’ve taken out two dozen CEOs, an ambassador, a prince, a prime minister, a minister of culture, and that was just six months,” Massie said. “I got 7 months left in Congress.”
Massie’s defeat immediately triggered outrage among some of Trump’s former allies.
Marjorie Taylor Greene delivered one of the harshest reactions of the night. “I am proud and thankful to have served in the U.S. House of Representatives with my friend Thomas Massie, a giant among weak pathetic men,” Greene wrote on X.
“Releasing the Epstein files was our demise,” she added. “But it was worth every single bit because now everyone knows the truth.”
Greene then launched into an attack on the Republican establishment.
“You are ruled by the Epstein class that cares nothing about you and your elected leaders are bought and controlled by a foreign lobby,” she wrote.
The Georgia conservative also claimed the Republican Party itself had been permanently damaged.
“Tonight the future of the Republican Party was destroyed,” Greene wrote. “The Real America First Movement will rise led by the younger generations, who hate the old guard with an unquenchable passion.”
“Let us pray that we have a country left by the time these creatures are gone,” she concluded.
Massie’s defeat marked the latest example of Trump politically crushing Republicans who publicly challenge him.
Earlier this week, Louisiana Sen. Bill Cassidy, one of the Republicans who voted to convict Trump after Jan. 6, also lost his reelection bid after failing to finish in the top two during the state’s GOP primary.
Cassidy seemingly exacted his revenge for the election loss by supporting a resolution that would have forced the president to pull U.S. forces out of the conflict involving Iran.
The Senate ultimately voted 50-47 to advance the measure from committee. Cassidy joined Democrats along with Republican Sens. Lisa Murkowski, Susan Collins and Rand Paul.
According to CBS News, the vote marked the first time Cassidy had supported advancing a war powers resolution.
Massie was not GOP. He was more DNC and it showed in his voting. Good riddance to the guy who was against closing the borders! Or anything else the voters of this country wanted and asked Trump to do. Massie is a liar, a cheat, and an idiot. What a stooge and if Greene and the rest think he is wonderful then it is fitting that she is gone. Adios to a massive mistake for years in his state.
Trump is doing the work that the GOP elitists refused to do; GET RID OF THE RINOS IN CONGRESS. The GOP and Republican are not really on the same page/agenda. The GOP is the faction that wants a Uni-party. Republicans want 2 parties. Voters today cannot be counted on to get rid of traitors in Congress. Vote fraud is too rampant and the GOP would not do it. So Trump got the voters out big time and is getting rid of the Rinos anyway. This is a good thing. Now to go after Susan Collins in Maine, Lisa Murkowski in Alaska and a few more.