Trump wants all RINOs out.
President Donald Trump once again showed he’s willing to take on disloyal figures within his own party. On Friday, he gave his full endorsement to retired Navy SEAL Captain Ed Gallrein as a potential challenger to Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, a lawmaker Trump criticized for betraying conservative principles and straying from the values of Republican voters.
“I hope Ed gets into the race against Massie, who is now polling at about 9% because the great people of Kentucky are wise to him,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “He only votes against the Republican Party, making life very easy for the Radical Left.”
The former president didn’t mince words, calling Massie a “totally ineffective loser” and praising Gallrein as a “winner who will not let you down.” Trump added that Gallrein “has my Complete and Total Endorsement” should he officially enter the 2026 GOP primary.
Gallrein, who previously ran for the Kentucky state senate, has not yet announced his candidacy — but Trump’s endorsement instantly catapulted him into the national spotlight. Many conservatives see Trump’s move as part of a broader effort to weed out anti-Trump establishment Republicans who’ve sided with Democrats or blocked the America First agenda.
Massie, long known for bucking his own party’s leadership, fired back with a combative statement. He accused Trump’s team of “pushing the panic button” by endorsing Gallrein and dismissed him as an “establishment hack.”
Over the years, Massie has frustrated conservatives by opposing key Trump-backed legislation, including major tax reform and spending bills aimed at strengthening border security and supporting American manufacturing. He also joined Democrats in demanding the release of Jeffrey Epstein-related documents — a move that alienated many GOP allies.
Despite Trump’s fiery rebuke, Massie’s campaign has leveraged the feud to raise money, boasting more than $2 million in cash on hand and rallying supporters with fundraising appeals portraying him as a “true conservative under attack.”
But Trump’s endorsement of Gallrein may signal a turning point for Kentucky Republicans. Many grassroots voters are growing weary of lawmakers who claim to be conservative while undermining the president’s America First movement.
As one Trump supporter put it on social media, “It’s time to clean out the RINOs once and for all — and Massie should be first.”