Massie opposition becomes Trump litmus test in Kentucky Senate race
Rep. Thomas Massie’s (R-KY) fight for political survival is bleeding into Kentucky’s Senate race after two of the Republican contenders endorsed his challenger to curry favor with President Donald Trump.
Rep. Andy Barr (R-KY) and entrepreneur Nate Morris endorsed Ed Gallrein in quick succession on Thursday, leaving former Attorney General Daniel Cameron as the only major candidate to stay on the sidelines in Massie’s race.
Massie, a libertarian and six-term House member, has embraced his status as a pariah in Trumpworld, owing to his opposition to the president’s tax law and role in forcing the release of the Epstein files.
But Republicans, especially those seeking Trump’s endorsement, want nothing to do with his candidacy and see Gallrein’s entry into the race at Trump’s urging as an opportunity to signal their loyalty to the president.
In announcing the endorsement, Barr’s campaign said he would be hosting a meet-and-greet with Gallrein in Kentucky next Friday and dubbed Morris as “Late Nate” for offering his endorsement later the same afternoon.
Gallrein, a former Navy SEAL and state Senate candidate, touted their backing as a sign that “MAGA conservatives” are uniting behind him.
The endorsements mark the latest wrinkle in what has become a bitter race to succeed retiring Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY). Early on, that meant distancing themselves from McConnell, himself a foe of the president, and promising to be a reliable Trump defender in Congress.
Yet all three candidates have since turned to other Trump critics to cement their standing with the White House.
In this latest dust-up, Barr and Morris are pointing to donations the other gave to Massie in past election cycles. Morris, a Lexington businessman, donated to Massie in 2020 and 2022, according to Federal Election Commission filings. Barr, meanwhile, made a donation in 2020 through his leadership PAC.
(Trump first called for Massie to be “thrown out” of the GOP in 2020, but later endorsed him in 2022.)
The falling out between Trump and former Rep. Liz Cheney is another feud shaping the campaign, with Morris citing donations Barr gave through his leadership PAC to Cheney and three other House Republicans who voted to impeach the president in 2021.
Barr, in turn, notes that Morris donated to former U.N. ambassador Nikki Haley two years before she challenged Trump for the presidential nomination.
“Those guys endorsing Woke Eddie isn’t about my race. It’s about their campaigns,” Massie …
Rep. Thomas Massie’s (R-KY) fight for political survival is bleeding into Kentucky’s Senate race after two of the Republican contenders endorsed his challenger to curry favor with President Donald Trump.
Rep. Andy Barr (R-KY) and entrepreneur Nate Morris endorsed Ed Gallrein in quick succession on Thursday, leaving former Attorney General Daniel Cameron as the only major candidate to stay on the sidelines in Massie’s race.
Massie, a libertarian and six-term House member, has embraced his status as a pariah in Trumpworld, owing to his opposition to the president’s tax law and role in forcing the release of the Epstein files.
But Republicans, especially those seeking Trump’s endorsement, want nothing to do with his candidacy and see Gallrein’s entry into the race at Trump’s urging as an opportunity to signal their loyalty to the president.
In announcing the endorsement, Barr’s campaign said he would be hosting a meet-and-greet with Gallrein in Kentucky next Friday and dubbed Morris as “Late Nate” for offering his endorsement later the same afternoon.
Gallrein, a former Navy SEAL and state Senate candidate, touted their backing as a sign that “MAGA conservatives” are uniting behind him.
The endorsements mark the latest wrinkle in what has become a bitter race to succeed retiring Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY). Early on, that meant distancing themselves from McConnell, himself a foe of the president, and promising to be a reliable Trump defender in Congress.
Yet all three candidates have since turned to other Trump critics to cement their standing with the White House.
In this latest dust-up, Barr and Morris are pointing to donations the other gave to Massie in past election cycles. Morris, a Lexington businessman, donated to Massie in 2020 and 2022, according to Federal Election Commission filings. Barr, meanwhile, made a donation in 2020 through his leadership PAC.
(Trump first called for Massie to be “thrown out” of the GOP in 2020, but later endorsed him in 2022.)
The falling out between Trump and former Rep. Liz Cheney is another feud shaping the campaign, with Morris citing donations Barr gave through his leadership PAC to Cheney and three other House Republicans who voted to impeach the president in 2021.
Barr, in turn, notes that Morris donated to former U.N. ambassador Nikki Haley two years before she challenged Trump for the presidential nomination.
“Those guys endorsing Woke Eddie isn’t about my race. It’s about their campaigns,” Massie …
Massie opposition becomes Trump litmus test in Kentucky Senate race
Rep. Thomas Massie’s (R-KY) fight for political survival is bleeding into Kentucky’s Senate race after two of the Republican contenders endorsed his challenger to curry favor with President Donald Trump.
Rep. Andy Barr (R-KY) and entrepreneur Nate Morris endorsed Ed Gallrein in quick succession on Thursday, leaving former Attorney General Daniel Cameron as the only major candidate to stay on the sidelines in Massie’s race.
Massie, a libertarian and six-term House member, has embraced his status as a pariah in Trumpworld, owing to his opposition to the president’s tax law and role in forcing the release of the Epstein files.
But Republicans, especially those seeking Trump’s endorsement, want nothing to do with his candidacy and see Gallrein’s entry into the race at Trump’s urging as an opportunity to signal their loyalty to the president.
In announcing the endorsement, Barr’s campaign said he would be hosting a meet-and-greet with Gallrein in Kentucky next Friday and dubbed Morris as “Late Nate” for offering his endorsement later the same afternoon.
Gallrein, a former Navy SEAL and state Senate candidate, touted their backing as a sign that “MAGA conservatives” are uniting behind him.
The endorsements mark the latest wrinkle in what has become a bitter race to succeed retiring Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY). Early on, that meant distancing themselves from McConnell, himself a foe of the president, and promising to be a reliable Trump defender in Congress.
Yet all three candidates have since turned to other Trump critics to cement their standing with the White House.
In this latest dust-up, Barr and Morris are pointing to donations the other gave to Massie in past election cycles. Morris, a Lexington businessman, donated to Massie in 2020 and 2022, according to Federal Election Commission filings. Barr, meanwhile, made a donation in 2020 through his leadership PAC.
(Trump first called for Massie to be “thrown out” of the GOP in 2020, but later endorsed him in 2022.)
The falling out between Trump and former Rep. Liz Cheney is another feud shaping the campaign, with Morris citing donations Barr gave through his leadership PAC to Cheney and three other House Republicans who voted to impeach the president in 2021.
Barr, in turn, notes that Morris donated to former U.N. ambassador Nikki Haley two years before she challenged Trump for the presidential nomination.
“Those guys endorsing Woke Eddie isn’t about my race. It’s about their campaigns,” Massie …
