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When the dust settled on the May 19 primaries, President Donald Trump had scored a victory in his quest to mold the GOP in his image, for better or worse. After 14 years representing Kentucky in the US House, Thomas Massie came up short against his Trump-endorsed primary challenger, Ed Gallrein.
The Associated Press called the race for Gallrein early on Tuesday evening, but by then, the math wasn’t working for Massie. It wasn’t even close, Trump would probably say. By the time 99% of the votes had been counted, Gallrein was up 54.9% to Massie’s 45.1%.
MAGA Rejects Thomas Massie
Thomas Massie had become perhaps Trump’s most persistent critic within Republican congressional ranks. That made him a hero to some and a traitor to others.
The president stamped his mark upon the party again. This has certainly caused a rift, of sorts, on the political right. Massie was seen by a number of libertarians and conservatives whose focus is limited government as the smartest man in the room. He was that one guy who refused to bend. His supporters applaud him for that, and the president’s MAGA movement has come to dislike him for a practically identical reason.
Thomas Massie has butted heads with Trump on several big issues – or high-profile issues, at least. The ongoing military standoff with Iran, the Epstein files, and the continued borrow-and-spend attitude of the federal government were all points of contention for Massie. But President Trump, in pushing for his ouster, was getting revenge, sending a message, purging Congress of the disloyal, or getting rid of the RINOS – depending upon one’s view of him. Perhaps it’s a combination of all those things. Call it what you will, it’s going his way.
Trump’s Last Hurrah
It was a good night overall for the president, as candidates carrying his endorsement scored win after win. Though in Georgia’s Republican gubernatorial primary, Trump-backed Lt. Gov. Burt Jones was held to a runoff. The winner of that race will face Democrat mayor of Atlanta Keisha Lance Bottoms in the contest to replace term-limited Gov. Brian Kemp – another thorn in Trump’s side, coincidentally.
Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, who has frustrated Trump on several occasions, was also a gubernatorial hopeful, but was barely a competitor in the race.
Georgia Republican Party Chair Josh McKoon said, “The most valuable asset or currency in Republican primaries, not just in Georgia, but around the country, is having the endorsement of Donald Trump.”
Trump’s approval ratings are down, but among Republican voters, he’s enjoying all-time highs. So, the fights with Thomas Massie and the latter’s subsequent downfall seem to have registered barely a ripple on the surface of the Republican base. Can primary successes translate to midterm victories?
This is the last federal election in which Donald Trump will be on the ballot – whether in person or by virtue of being a sitting president. In a way, it will be the voter’s final referendum on his time in the White House. Whether his favored candidates prevail in November might indicate how strong the MAGA movement really is.
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