Donald Trump populated his Truth Social account overnight with more than three dozen banners relishing his wins in a series of primary races on Tuesday — further evidence of his grip on the Republican party.
The biggest prize was the ouster of Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY), who has emerged as one of the president’s most prominent intra-party foes as he has led the calls for the release of the Jeffrey Epstein files. In one of the most expensive congressional primary races ever, Massie was soundly defeated by Ed Gallrein.
The president also saw his chosen candidate, Andy Barr, win the GOP primary for the U.S. Senate seat held by Mitch McConnell, who is retiring, and Rep. Barry Moore (R-AL), his chosen contender for the U.S. Senate in Alabama, advance to a runoff. Meanwhile, Georgia’s secretary of state, Brad Raffensberger, who refused Trump’s pressure to find him votes to overturn the 2020 presidential election results in the state, failed to make the runoff to serve as the Republican nominee for governor.
Earlier in the day, on Capitol Hill, veteran Republican senators were reported to be stunned with the news of the president’s endorsement of Texas attorney general Ken Paxton, rather than Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX), in next week’s primary. “None of us control what the president does,” said Senate Majority Leader John Thune (D-TX), who had heavily backed Cornyn. If Paxton wins, his personal and professional scandals will likely be front and center of Democrat James Talarico’s efforts to flip the seat.
As much as Cornyn tried to ingratiate himself with Trump, even proposing an interstate highway be named after him, it was not enough. At the White House, Vice President JD Vance told reporters, “I’ve known John Cornyn for a long time, but unfortunately, when it really counted, Ken Paxton was there for the country, was there for the president and that’s why he ultimately earned the president’s endorsement.”
As commentators emphasized in cable and streaming coverage throughout Tuesday evening, the Republicans are heading into a midterm with little control over what Trump does, even as party leaders try to veer the conversation away from ballrooms and triumphal arches to concerns about affordability and the economy.
In his concession speech, Massie remained defiant and even a bit snarky, but he suggested that the Republican loyalty to Trump extends well beyond party figures to media on the right.
“After 18 months of blackout, of not letting me on Fox, they finally let me on Fox today, four hours into the election,” Massie told supporters, to boos. “Their slop is selling so they will keep selling it. But listen, I got to watch Fox, also, for the first time in 18 months.”
