GOP Rep. Thomas Massie Gets Primary Challenger

Former Navy SEAL Ed Gallrein, who has been endorsed by Trump, announced his bid on X.

Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) speaks during a campaign event in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, on Jan. 14, 2024. Madalina Vasiliu/The Epoch Times

Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) got a primary challenge on Oct. 21 from former Navy SEAL Ed Gallrein, a candidate backed by President Donald Trump.

“While Trump is fighting to restore America, Thomas Massie is standing in the way,” Gallrein wrote in an X post. “I served over 30 yrs as a Navy SEAL & military advisor—I’m ready to answer the call again. I’m proud to have Trump’s endorsement, and I'll stand with him to deliver America First results for KY.”

In a subsequent post, Gallrein talked about serving as a SEAL and returning to Kentucky, where he is a fifth-generation farmer. “This is Trump Country—but Thomas Massie is blocking the President’s agenda,” he said.

In a statement to Politico, Massie was dismissive of Gallrein and said that Trump’s supporters have looked to unseat him but that Gallrein is a “failed candidate and establishment hack.”

Gallrein narrowly lost a GOP primary race for state Senate last year.

In an Oct. 20 post on Truth Social, Trump endorsed Gallrein before the latter officially threw his hat in the ring. The president said that Massie “must be thrown out of office, ASAP!”

Trump wrote that Gallrein aligns with the America First agenda, which includes defending the homeland, supporting the military and veterans, creating jobs, cutting taxes and regulations, and increasing American energy production.

“In Congress, he will fight tirelessly to Keep our now very Secure Border, SECURE, Stop Migrant Crime, and Defend our always under siege Second Amendment,” he said.

Massie has been in the spotlight lately as he has pushed for the House to vote on a bill that would force the Department of Justice to release files tied to the deceased financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, who was also accused of running a sex trafficking operation. Epstein died in a New York prison cell in 2019, which was ruled a suicide.

“We all deserve to know what’s in the Epstein files, who’s implicated, and how deep this corruption goes,” he said in a statement in July.

“Americans were promised justice and transparency. We’re introducing a discharge petition to force a vote in the U.S. House of Representatives on releasing the complete files. If your Representative won’t sign the discharge petition, ask why.”

In July, the Department of Justice and the FBI said they had closed their review of the Epstein case.

“This systematic review revealed no incriminating ‘client list.’ There was also no credible evidence found that Epstein blackmailed prominent individuals as part of his actions. We did not uncover evidence that could predicate an investigation against uncharged third parties.

The FBI and Justice Department said that many of the materials are subject to a court-ordered seal.

“Through this review, we found no basis to revisit the disclosure of those materials and will not permit the release of child pornography,” they said.

Trump has called the Epstein files controversy a “hoax” that has been “perpetrated by the Democrats and some stupid Republicans and foolish Republicans fall into the net.”

Massie voted earlier this year against Trump’s tax-and-spend bill, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.