Trump Enemy Thomas Massie Beating Back MAGA Primary Foe — Despite Massive Push From Trump to Oust Him: NEW POLLS

 

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Despite intense opposition from President Donald Trump, Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) is beating back a challenge from his MAGA primary opponent — new polling reveals.

According to a new poll from Quantus Insights, Massie holds a nearly double-digit lead over his Republican primary opponent — Trump-backed Ed Gallrein — with the incumbent pulling in 46.8 percent compared to Gallrein’s 37.7 percent. A second survey put out by Big Data Poll is slightly less optimistic for Massie, but still gives him a clear edge, as the poll shows him ahead 52.4-47.6.

The two surveys are the first independent public polls of the race since Gallrein, a former Navy SEAL, announced his bid for the seat last October. Gallrein has enjoyed Trump’s full support — with the president even holding a rally on Gallrein’s behalf in March. At that March 11 rally in Hebron, KY, Trump completely tore into Massie.

“We gotta get rid of this loser,” Trump said. “This guy is bad. He’s disloyal to the Republican Party. He’s disloyal to the people of Kentucky. And most importantly, he is disloyal to the United States of America.”

Trump and Massie have butted heads on numerous issues in recent months. Notably, Massie has been outspoken in his push for the DOJ to release the Epstein Files. The Kentucky congressman also opposed the Trump-backed budget bill last year, and has spoken out against the war in Iran.

Should Massie prevail, other Republicans who have been afraid to go against Trump on any issue could be moved to speak out more frequently — as a Massie victory would show it is possible for a vocal Trump-critic to survive a well-funded primary challenge backed by the White House. And the congressman could even have aspirations for higher office. Massie, speaking with the Louisville Courier-Journal on Tuesday, left open the possibility that he would run for governor in Kentucky, should he win his congressional race.

The president has made unseating him a clear priority in the 2026 election cycle. But Trump’s preferred candidate will only have about one month to overcome his deficit. Kentucky holds its primary on May 19.

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Joe DePaolo is the Editor in Chief of Mediaite. Email him here: joed@mediaite.com Follow him on X: @joe_depaolo