Opening summary: Trump tightens grip on GOP after Thomas Massie defeated in Kentucky primary
Good morning, and welcome to our live coverage of US politics. Donald Trump has tightened his grip on the Republican party after the independent-minded Congressman Thomas Massie was defeated in the Kentucky Republican House primary by the president’s hand-picked challenger.
Massie lost by a vote of 55% to 45%, in what became the most expensive House primary in US history, reportedly drawing over $32m in spending.
Trump repeatedly called for voters to back Ed Gallrein, a retired navy Seal and farmer, over the incumbent Massie who had drawn the president’s ire after breaking with him on several high-profile issues, including the war on Iran, the release of the Epstein files and his signature tax bill.
“There is a yearning in this country for somebody who will vote for principles over party,” Massie said in his concession speech.
“If the legislative branch always votes whichever way the wind is blowing, then we have mob rule,” he added.
Massie’s defeat was the latest in a series of successful proxy battles Trump has fought which have ousted dissenting Republican incumbents – in states like Indiana and Louisiana – by endorsing a more loyal challenger.
The election took place as voters in five other states – Pennsylvania, Georgia, Alabama, Oregon and Idaho – went to the polls on Tuesday, to decide their nominees for the November election in what was the biggest primary night of the year so far. We’ll bring you a round up of these results shortly.
The next major test of Trump’s influence is in Texas, where the state’s controversial attorney general, Ken Paxton, has just secured the president’s endorsement in his bid to unseat four-term incumbent Republican senator John Cornyn in next week’s Republican primary run-off race.
Key events
The EU has finally agreed to implement a trade deal with the US after hours of talks between members of the European parliament and member states, likely averting a threat by Donald Trump to punish any more stalling with steep tariffs, including on cars and trucks imported from the bloc. You can read more in this story by my colleague Lisa O’Carroll:
Trump claims ‘100%’ of his endorsements won in Republican primaries
Donald Trump has posted to Truth Social claiming that “100%” of his endorsements in the May 19 Republican primaries won in their races, citing clean sweeps in Alabama, Pennsylvania, Georgia, Idaho, Oregon and Kentucky.
Republicans backed by Trump either won or were in first place in the primaries in Georgia, Alabama and Kentucky on Tuesday. Idaho’s three longtime congressional incumbents, all Republicans supported by Trump, easily won their party’s nominations in yesterday’s primary election. A small number of races, however, remain unsettled and are heading to runoffs.
Cecilia Nowell
Other election results poured in as polls closed in Kentucky, Georgia, Alabama, Pennsylvania, Idaho and Oregon.
Among the most notable: US senator Tommy Tuberville won the Republican nomination for Alabama governor, former Atlanta mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms won the Democratic nomination for governor in Georgia and state representative Chris Rabb won the Democratic nomination for Pennsylvania’s third congressional district.
In Georgia, lieutenant governor Burt Jones and healthcare executive Rick Jackson will advance to a runoff in the Republican primary for the governor’s race, while congressmen Mike Collins and Derek Dooley will advance to a runoff for the Republican nomination to compete against Democrat Jon Ossoff for his senate seat this November.
Opening summary: Trump tightens grip on GOP after Thomas Massie defeated in Kentucky primary
Good morning, and welcome to our live coverage of US politics. Donald Trump has tightened his grip on the Republican party after the independent-minded Congressman Thomas Massie was defeated in the Kentucky Republican House primary by the president’s hand-picked challenger.
Massie lost by a vote of 55% to 45%, in what became the most expensive House primary in US history, reportedly drawing over $32m in spending.
Trump repeatedly called for voters to back Ed Gallrein, a retired navy Seal and farmer, over the incumbent Massie who had drawn the president’s ire after breaking with him on several high-profile issues, including the war on Iran, the release of the Epstein files and his signature tax bill.
“There is a yearning in this country for somebody who will vote for principles over party,” Massie said in his concession speech.
“If the legislative branch always votes whichever way the wind is blowing, then we have mob rule,” he added.
Massie’s defeat was the latest in a series of successful proxy battles Trump has fought which have ousted dissenting Republican incumbents – in states like Indiana and Louisiana – by endorsing a more loyal challenger.
The election took place as voters in five other states – Pennsylvania, Georgia, Alabama, Oregon and Idaho – went to the polls on Tuesday, to decide their nominees for the November election in what was the biggest primary night of the year so far. We’ll bring you a round up of these results shortly.
The next major test of Trump’s influence is in Texas, where the state’s controversial attorney general, Ken Paxton, has just secured the president’s endorsement in his bid to unseat four-term incumbent Republican senator John Cornyn in next week’s Republican primary run-off race.
