{"id":1153,"date":"2026-05-16T10:39:59","date_gmt":"2026-05-16T10:39:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usglobalnews.com\/?p=1153"},"modified":"2026-05-16T10:39:59","modified_gmt":"2026-05-16T10:39:59","slug":"can-a-republican-defy-donald-trump-and-survive-kentucky-voters-will-decide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usglobalnews.com\/?p=1153","title":{"rendered":"Can a Republican defy Donald Trump and survive? Kentucky voters will decide"},"content":{"rendered":"<div style=\"border-color:var(--article-border);background-color:var(--article-inner-background)\" class=\"dcr-wqti5a\">\n<div class=\"dcr-2zxs1v\">\n<div style=\"--grid-area:media\" data-gu-name=\"media\" class=\"dcr-1fnjjtg\">\n<div class=\"dcr-14emo0l\">\n<div class=\"dcr-tr9ye5\">\n<figure id=\"c5681dfa-1f82-4d8f-98ea-1c80e907f7a8\" class=\"dcr-142siv7\">\n<div id=\"img-1\" class=\"dcr-1t8m8f2\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"a man in a suit speaks\" src=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/83e202af63c16e557ad8b16d17ca67f3e2468535\/0_0_8256_5504\/master\/8256.jpg?width=465&amp;dpr=1&amp;s=none&amp;crop=none\" width=\"465\" height=\"310\" loading=\"eager\" class=\"dcr-evn1e9\"><span class=\"dcr-v822l1\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-gup2gr\">\n<div class=\"dcr-fntg6k\"><label for=\"the-checkbox\" class=\"dcr-1xgwz8b\"><\/label> <\/p>\n<div id=\"the-caption\"><figcaption data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-1os51wo\"><span class=\"dcr-hvsf4t\"><\/span><span class=\"dcr-1qvd3m6\">Thomas Massie after a debate in Lexington, Kentucky, on 4 May.<\/span> Photograph: Jon Cherry\/AP<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/span><a href=\"#img-1\" data-ignore=\"global-link-styling\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-13fd1ms\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><button data-element-id=\"c5681dfa-1f82-4d8f-98ea-1c80e907f7a8\" type=\"button\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-4tmywn\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\"><span class=\"dcr-194i6pr\">View image in fullscreen<\/span><\/button><\/a><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"dcr-n4pnam\"><figcaption data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-1hdkqum\"><span class=\"dcr-hvsf4t\"><\/span><span class=\"dcr-1qvd3m6\">Thomas Massie after a debate in Lexington, Kentucky, on 4 May.<\/span> Photograph: Jon Cherry\/AP<\/figcaption><\/span><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"--grid-area:border\" data-gu-name=\"border\" class=\"dcr-1fnjjtg\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"--grid-area:headline\" data-gu-name=\"headline\" class=\"dcr-1fnjjtg\">\n<div class=\"dcr-14emo0l\">\n<div class=\"dcr-1aqe7zu\">\n<h1 class=\"dcr-1k1a1x\">Can a Republican defy Donald Trump and survive? Kentucky voters will decide<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"--grid-area:standfirst\" data-gu-name=\"standfirst\" class=\"dcr-1fnjjtg\">\n<div class=\"dcr-b3fmmo\">\n<p>Congressman Thomas Massie, chastized by the US president as a \u2018lowlife\u2019, will soon face the ballot box \u2013 setting up a crucial test of Trump\u2019s political strength<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"--grid-area:body\" data-gu-name=\"body\" class=\"dcr-kn9unn\">\n<div class=\"dcr-1a4fred\">\n<div id=\"maincontent\" class=\"dcr-ydnaza\">\n<div class=\"article-body-commercial-selector article-body-viewer-selector dcr-1c9t5u6\">\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><span style=\"color:var(--drop-cap);font-weight:500\" class=\"dcr-15rw6c2\">A<\/span>t <a href=\"https:\/\/peeweesplace.net\/\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">Pee Wee\u2019s Place<\/a>, a bar and restaurant in Crescent Springs, northern Kentucky, biscuits and gravy go for $6 and liver and onions for $14.75. The walls are adorned with US flags, sports memorabilia, amusement machines, a TV showing Fox News and a poster that proclaims: \u201cLet the gays get married. Let the rednecks have their guns. Let the atheists be atheists. Let the Christians be Christians. America is about FREEDOM.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Sitting at the bar, John Johnson, 78, and his son Lance, 47, are discussing an upcoming election in which <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bloomberg.com\/opinion\/articles\/2026-04-17\/can-massie-defy-trump-and-keep-his-kentucky-seat-we-ll-soon-find-out?accessToken=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJzb3VyY2UiOiJTdWJzY3JpYmVyR2lmdGVkQXJ0aWNsZSIsImlhdCI6MTc3NjQzNTkzMywiZXhwIjoxNzc3MDQwNzMzLCJhcnRpY2xlSWQiOiJURE1WVThLSUpIREcwMCIsImJjb25uZWN0SWQiOiJDNEMzMEExMTBGOTc0MDcwOUZDNjg1REEzOTJFM0ZFRSJ9.f9yxqGNGUKOiFhKQzN-RHZGjR5xKerbsewhAt9X-5Mw&amp;leadSource=uverify%20wall\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">Thomas Massie<\/a>, a maverick congressman, is aiming to prove that a Republican can defy Donald Trump and survive. \u201cI\u2019m leaning to Massie because I like his attitude when it comes to being straight up on issues,\u201d says John, a contractor who voted for Trump in 2024. \u201cHim and Trump beat off each other every now and then, but he\u2019s a constitutionalist, he speaks his piece and he\u2019s right a lot of times.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><a href=\"https:\/\/ballotpedia.org\/Kentucky%27s_4th_Congressional_District\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">Kentucky\u2019s fourth congressional district<\/a> wends its way from Louisville\u2019s outer suburbs north towards the commuter fringes of Cincinnati, Ohio, and east to the edge of Appalachia. A Republican primary election here on 19 May will pit Massie against a Trump-endorsed challenger, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.edgallrein.com\/\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">Ed Gallrein<\/a>, a farmer and retired US Navy Seal, in a crucial test of the president\u2019s strength.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Massie, 55, is already the exception that proves the rule of Republican politics. While others have capitulated and genuflected to the president over the past decade, eliciting comparisons with a personality cult, the seven-term congressman with a libertarian bent has emerged as ever more defiant.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">He voted against Trump\u2019s sprawling tax and spending cuts bill; co-authored legislation compelling the justice department to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2025\/dec\/27\/kentucky-republican-thomas-massie-trump-epstein-files\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">release the Jeffrey Epstein files<\/a>; sought to revoke tariffs on Canada; and joined Democrats in opposing Trump\u2019s decisions to attack Venezuela and Iran without congressional approval. \u201cBombing a country on the other side of the globe won\u2019t make the Epstein files go away,\u201d Massie said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Now Trump is gunning for revenge. He has branded Massie a \u201clowlife\u201d, \u201cmoron\u201d and \u201cweak and pathetic\u201d, and even <a href=\"https:\/\/www.yahoo.com\/news\/articles\/isn-t-ironic-thrice-married-180027130.html\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">mocked him<\/a> for remarrying 16 months after the sudden death of his wife of more than 30 years. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.democrats.senate.gov\/newsroom\/trump-transcripts\/transcript-president-trump-discusses-his-administration-in-hebron-kentucky-31126\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">He told a rally in the district in March<\/a>: \u201cWe\u2019ve got to get rid of this loser. This guy is bad. He\u2019s disloyal to the Republican party. He\u2019s disloyal to the people of Kentucky, and most importantly, he is disloyal to the United States of America. And he\u2019s got to be voted out of office as soon as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Two of the president\u2019s most trusted strategists, Chris LaCivita and Tony Fabrizio, are leading Maga KY, a political action committee backing Gallrein\u2019s bid to unseat Massie in what Politico <a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/newsletters\/playbook\/2026\/01\/10\/kentuckys-in-for-a-brawl-00721158\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">has dubbed<\/a> \u201cthe Beltway v the Bluegrass\u201d.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"12ff6fb7-d2fb-4050-af58-20b4f3d8115d\" data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" data-spacefinder-type=\"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.ImageBlockElement\" class=\"dcr-173mewl\">\n<div id=\"img-2\" class=\"dcr-1t8m8f2\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"a man in a suit speaks\" src=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/721f9cf0b1ccceb952d3d85db1c66f3c9b07c740\/0_0_8256_5504\/master\/8256.jpg?width=445&amp;dpr=1&amp;s=none&amp;crop=none\" width=\"445\" height=\"296.66666666666663\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"dcr-evn1e9\"><a href=\"#img-2\" data-ignore=\"global-link-styling\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-13fd1ms\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><button data-element-id=\"12ff6fb7-d2fb-4050-af58-20b4f3d8115d\" type=\"button\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-4tmywn\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\"><span class=\"dcr-194i6pr\">View image in fullscreen<\/span><\/button><\/a><\/div><figcaption data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-fd61eq\"><span class=\"dcr-1inf02i\"><\/span><span class=\"dcr-1qvd3m6\">Congressional candidate Ed Gallrein, participates in an interview during the Kenton county Republican party Lincoln Day Dinner on 30 April in Covington, Kentucky.<\/span> Photograph: Jon Cherry\/AP<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">The outcome is far from certain, with early polling suggesting a close race. One source in the state Republican party said: \u201cMassie is in trouble,\u201d pointing to his lack of presence in the district and weak ground game. Others contend that, with impressive fundraising and the advantage of incumbency, the congressman is well placed at a moment when approval for Trump is cratering because of the Iran war and rising gas prices.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">The race has effectively become a stark referendum on the two men. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dinsmore.com\/people\/shane-noem-lobbyist\/\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">Shane Noem<\/a>, the chair of the Kenton county Republican party, said: \u201cIt\u2019s a pick-a-side moment for a lot of members. Congressman Massie has been in office for 14 years and has been a consistent advocate for his platforms. President Trump\u2019s been a known entity since 2016 in the Republican party. A lot of voters are wrestling with: are we with the president, or are we with our congressman?<em>\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">The district, with a population of 776,082, is 86% white and has a median household income of $81,874. Trump carried it with two-thirds of the vote in 2024; Massie won the past three primaries with three-quarters of the vote. For many loyal Republicans, the men\u2019s feud has created an agonisingly personal choice.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><a href=\"https:\/\/legislature.ky.gov\/Legislators\/Pages\/Legislator-Profile.aspx?DistrictNumber=69\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">Steven Doan<\/a>, a state representative aligned with Kentucky\u2019s \u201cLiberty\u201d movement, said: \u201cIt\u2019s kind of like Mommy and Daddy fighting. You love both of them and you support both of them. But at the end of the day, Thomas has been our guy for a long time and there\u2019s a lot of loyalty here in the district to him. People seem to appreciate that at least we have one honest politician in Washington DC.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Doan gives short shrift to Gallrein. \u201cNobody knows anything about the guy, and he\u2019s not even running a campaign. The president is essentially running the campaign on his behalf. He won\u2019t debate; he won\u2019t tell you where he stands on the issues; he\u2019s basically taking the Joe Biden-in-the-basement strategy, and that\u2019s what he\u2019s trying to run with.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Some voters admire Massie for his uncompromising principles and willingness to stand his ground against the president on difficult issues. Back at Pee Wee\u2019s Place, Lance Johnson, who voted for Trump three times, reasoned: \u201cI\u2019ve coached football and, if every coach agrees with each other, then I think something\u2019s wrong, so there has to be somebody that disagrees with something.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cMassie is 90% of the time with Trump. It\u2019s just one or two things that he doesn\u2019t, and I agree with him on those one or two things. I\u2019d like to see the Epstein files come out completely. Everybody that is a part of it needs to be shown.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">In addition, Trump\u2019s stock has fallen with some Kentuckians struggling with an affordability crisis. Lance added: \u201cThe Iran war could have been handled a lot better. We were walked into it. I drive every day for my work and equipment takes gas. I\u2019ve got two young kids. Groceries have gone up, so it\u2019s been tougher. Everybody is spending more money right now.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">But sitting at a table nearby, another patron was not so impressed by Massie\u2019s stubborn streak of rebellion. Jim Carmichael, 57, who runs a property company, views Massie as a \u201cRino\u201d (Republican in name only) who votes against the party line far too frequently.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cI don\u2019t mind anybody calling things into question, but if you\u2019re the dissenting vote in the party, or if you are the vote that lets the other party win, then I have a problem with it,\u201d Carmichael said. \u201cThere were a few times in particular that Massie should have voted with the president, and he didn\u2019t, and it had no effect. He was doing it just to make a point.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cSometimes there\u2019s a greater good, right? Your point\u2019s been made, so why do it? It\u2019s fine if he wants to stand on that principle, more power to him, because he\u2019s going to find he\u2019s without a seat.<em>\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Danny Ridder, a retired educator, 74, shares the frustration. \u201cEverything that is proposed to him, he votes against it,\u201d said Ridder. \u201cThere\u2019s gotta be reason, and he doesn\u2019t share those reasons.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">This vicious contest is not taking place in a vacuum. Kentucky, the birthplace of former Republican president Abraham Lincoln, was also crucial to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/2010\/oct\/05\/us-midterm-elections-2010-tea-party-movement\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">early years of the Tea Party movement<\/a>, which stirred populist resentment towards government spending, and attracted both conservatives and libertarians.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.paul.senate.gov\/\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky<\/a>, son of former congressman Ron Paul, was elected in 2010 with Tea Party backing and often adopts libertarian positions, including opposition to overseas military interventions. Massie gained his seat in 2012. Meanwhile Senator Mitch McConnell, once a personification of the Republican establishment, has himself shown an independent streak by bucking Trump in recent years.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><a href=\"https:\/\/polisci.as.uky.edu\/users\/dsvoss\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">Steve Voss<\/a>, a political scientist at the University of Kentucky, noted that research has shown the fourth congressional district is the only part of Kentucky where people identify as midwestern, rather than southern. \u201cWhen the Tea Party arose in roughly 2010, it was northern Kentucky, as with the rest of the midwest, where that movement was concentrated,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Massie plays up to the image of rugged individualism. In 2021, he was criticized after <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/world-us-canada-59543735\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">sharing a Christmas photo<\/a> of his family posing with military-style rifles, just days after a deadly school shooting. His bio on the X social media platform describes him as an \u201cAppalachian American\u201d and \u201cEngineer, Farmer, Inventor\u201d with 30 patents.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Indeed, Massie lives in a self-built, 4,400-sq-ft timber frame home on a 1,000-acre farm in Lewis county, Kentucky. The house is entirely off-the-grid, powered by solar panels, and features a <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/RepThomasMassie\/status\/1764449567431393722?s=20\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">repurposed wrecked Tesla Model S battery<\/a> and rainwater collection system. He calls it \u201cthe Shire\u201d, a reference to the self-sufficient home of the hobbits in JRR Tolkien\u2019s fantasy world. He plays banjo and does not own a TV.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">He has been dogged in pursuit of the Epstein files, <a href=\"https:\/\/khanna.house.gov\/media\/press-releases\/reps-khanna-and-massie-call-appointment-special-master-compel-department\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">working across the aisle with Ro Khanna<\/a>, a Democratic congressman from California. Khanna said: \u201cHe is principled, very courageous, brilliant mind, quick-witted, willing to take risk. I have a lot of respect for him. He has the entire Trump presidential campaign apparatus running against him in a congressional seat. He is showing incredible guts and, when he wins, he\u2019s going to be an even bigger national figure.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure id=\"5a9a5bd2-2261-49e1-82c2-ab5f92962047\" data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" data-spacefinder-type=\"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.ImageBlockElement\" class=\"dcr-173mewl\">\n<div id=\"img-3\" class=\"dcr-1t8m8f2\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"two men speak to people holding cameras\" src=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/107e19109a53bfc25171fd0280eb2d30fb47ea0f\/0_0_5960_3973\/master\/5960.jpg?width=445&amp;dpr=1&amp;s=none&amp;crop=none\" width=\"445\" height=\"296.64177852348996\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"dcr-evn1e9\"><a href=\"#img-3\" data-ignore=\"global-link-styling\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-13fd1ms\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><button data-element-id=\"5a9a5bd2-2261-49e1-82c2-ab5f92962047\" type=\"button\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-4tmywn\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\"><span class=\"dcr-194i6pr\">View image in fullscreen<\/span><\/button><\/a><\/div><figcaption data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-fd61eq\"><span class=\"dcr-1inf02i\"><\/span><span class=\"dcr-1qvd3m6\">Ro Khanna and Thomas Massie speak to reporters about the Epstein files outside the Department of Justice on 9 February 2026 in Washington DC.<\/span> Photograph: Heather Diehl\/Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">But Massie\u2019s rigid ideological commitment could hurt him at the ballot box. Early in his career, Massie refused to help his constituents access federal programs that he opposed, a hardline stance that permanently alienated local business leaders and officials.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Tres Watson, a Republican political strategist and host of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kypoliticsweekly.com\/\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">Kentucky Politics Weekly podcast<\/a><em>,<\/em> said: \u201cIt\u2019s not entirely a Trump-Massie battle. There\u2019s probably 30% of the district inclined to vote against Massie because of the way he handles his district office. When he first came into office, he basically said, if I don\u2019t agree with the program , I\u2019m not going to help my constituents access it.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cHe got talked down off that, but your chamber of commerce-type people have always wanted to get rid of Massie. You have the Trump thing, but then you have another set that have long wanted to elect somebody else for totally unrelated reasons, so he\u2019s got to watch that flank too.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Watson still predicts a Massie win, but added: \u201cIf he loses, Trump\u2019s going to wave the flag and say that he did it; Trump alone couldn\u2019t have done it. It\u2019s the opponents that Massie\u2019s got, specifically your chamber of commerce Republicans combined with the Trump Republicans<em>.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">The congressman\u2019s defiance has earned him grudging respect from the other side of the political aisle. Linda Vila Passione, 68, a retired teacher originally from New York, said: \u201cI am a dyed-in-the-wool Democrat, but some of the stuff that Massie says when it comes to arguing with the moron in charge is right up my alley.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Massie and Gallrein\u2019s offices did not respond to requests for comment. When the Guardian visited <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cincinnati.com\/story\/news\/2026\/02\/20\/firebrand-thomas-massie-hosting-headquarters-launch-party-in-nky\/88762166007\/?gnt-cfr=1&amp;gca-cat=p&amp;gca-uir=true&amp;gca-epti=z115940p116850l004350c116850e1112xxv115940d--52--b--52--&amp;gca-ft=192&amp;gca-ds=sophi\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">Massie\u2019s campaign headquarters<\/a> in a squat brick building at a highway intersection in Florence, Kentucky, a message posted on the door asked that questions be sent by email. Beside it sat a wooden crate containing a stack of Massie yard signs lying upside down.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-print-layout=\"hide\" class=\"dcr-qxqnsy\"><span class=\"dcr-1rq3vad\">Explore more on these topics<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-1dzx48f\">\n<ul class=\"dcr-1rrvs2w\">\n<li class=\"dcr-hj8byr\"><a href=\"\/us-news\/us-midterm-elections-2026\" class=\"dcr-1gwziyt\">US midterm elections 2026<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-hj8byr\"><a href=\"\/us-news\/kentucky\" class=\"dcr-1gwziyt\">Kentucky<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-hj8byr\"><a href=\"\/us-news\/us-politics\" class=\"dcr-1gwziyt\">US politics<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-hj8byr\"><a href=\"\/us-news\/donaldtrump\" class=\"dcr-1gwziyt\">Donald Trump<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-hj8byr\"><a href=\"\/us-news\/house-of-representatives\" class=\"dcr-1gwziyt\">House of Representatives<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-hj8byr\"><a href=\"\/us-news\/us-congress\" class=\"dcr-1gwziyt\">US Congress<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-hj8byr\"><a href=\"\/tone\/features\" class=\"dcr-1gwziyt\">features<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"dcr-nu129i\"><a href=\"mailto:?subject=Can%20a%20Republican%20defy%20Donald%20Trump%20and%20survive?%20Kentucky%20voters%20will%20decide&amp;body=https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2026\/may\/16\/kentucky-republican-primary-election-massie-gallrein?CMP=share_btn_url\" class=\"dcr-125qj9d\">Share<\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-zhx6xs\"><a data-link-name=\"meta-syndication-article\" href=\"https:\/\/syndication.theguardian.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fus-news%2F2026%2Fmay%2F16%2Fkentucky-republican-primary-election-massie-gallrein&amp;type=article&amp;internalpagecode=us-news\/2026\/may\/16\/kentucky-republican-primary-election-massie-gallrein\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\" title=\"Reuse this content\" class=\"dcr-14rjinq\">Reuse this content<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"--grid-area:right-column\" data-gu-name=\"right-column\" class=\"dcr-1h2hraq\">\n<div class=\"dcr-tn16h9\">\n<section class=\"dcr-1hko8ef\"><\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Thomas Massie after a debate in Lexington, Kentucky, on 4 May. Photograph: Jon Cherry\/AP View image in fullscreen<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":1154,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1153","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-world-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1153","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1153"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1153\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1155,"href":"https:\/\/usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1153\/revisions\/1155"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1154"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1153"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1153"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1153"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}