President Donald Trump has thrown his weight behind retired Navy SEAL Ed Gallrein, endorsing the first-time candidate in Kentucky’s Republican primary and backing him against Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY).
In a post on Truth Social, Trump praised Gallrein as:
“A WINNER WHO WILL NOT LET KENTUCKY DOWN!”
Trump highlighted Gallrein’s military background, calling him:
“A Brave Combat Veteran, Ed knows the Wisdom and Courage required to Defend our Country, Support our Military/Veterans, and Ensure PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH.”
The president added that Gallrein “happens to be central casting.”
Trump also noted Gallrein’s support for the administration’s recent military intervention in Venezuela, describing him as a “big fan” of the operation.
The post included a photo of Trump and Gallrein in the Oval Office.
The president urged Republicans to unite behind Gallrein, saying he had heard that others were considering entering the race for Massie’s seat.
Trump reserved his harshest criticism for the incumbent congressman, blasting him as:
“Third Rate Congressman Thomas Massie, a Weak and Pathetic RINO.”
BREAKING: Trump officially endorses Navy SEAL Captain @EdGallrein in the Kentucky 4th Congressional District race to unseat Thomas Massie pic.twitter.com/Yk01lyn8A2
— johnny maga (@_johnnymaga) January 5, 2026
Massie quickly fired back, using the attack as a fundraising appeal.
“It happened again today!” Massie wrote on X.
“Why do I get attacked weekly?”
“Because I’m the only Republican who refuses to rubber-stamp foreign aid, endless deficits, and unnecessary wars.
“I’m also exposing sex traffickers.”
Massie now faces a competitive GOP primary on May 19 in Kentucky’s 4th Congressional District, where he is being challenged by Gallrein, along with former nurse Nicole Lee Ethington and physician Robert Wells.
The libertarian-leaning congressman has repeatedly broken with Trump on key issues, including foreign aid and U.S. military involvement overseas.
He also led efforts to press the Justice Department to release records tied to Jeffrey Epstein.
Most recently, Massie condemned the Trump administration’s Venezuela operation that resulted in the capture of Nicolás Maduro and his wife.
“Wake up MAGA,” Massie wrote on X.
“VENEZUELA is not about drugs; it’s about OIL and REGIME CHANGE.
“This is not what we voted for.”
Gallrein took the opposite position, applauding the mission and sharply criticizing Massie for opposing it.
The intervention, Gallrein wrote, “opens the door to a new chapter for the people of Venezuela.”
“Instead of standing with America’s military and the men and women who put their lives on the line to protect this country, Massie chose to side with Democrats and the Squad, criticizing our armed forces while excusing criminals, tolerating the intolerable, and defending the indefensible,” Gallrein said.
“That is not leadership, and it is not what the people of this district expect from a Republican.”
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