Bernie Sanders says Thomas Massie lost GOP primary as he refused to be Trump’s ‘rubber stamp’

WASHINGTON, DC: Senator Bernie Sanders on Wednesday, May 20, defended outgoing Kentucky Congressman Thomas Massie after his expensive Republican primary defeat, arguing the lawmaker’s “great crime” was refusing to act as a “rubber stamp” for President Donald Trump.

Speaking about Massie’s loss, Sanders said he had little in common politically with the Kentucky Republican but accused powerful donor networks and Trump allies of targeting him for refusing to fall in line behind the president.

“Thomas Massie, somebody who I have very little in common with politically, was defeated by $9 million in contributions from AIPAC and $7 million from Trump megadonors,” Sanders said.

He further added, “And what was the great crime that Massie committed? He refused to be a rubber stamp for Donald Trump.”

Sanders’ remarks added a surprising bipartisan dimension to one of the most closely watched Republican primaries of the year, where Massie lost to Trump-backed challenger Ed Gallrein after millions of dollars poured into the race.

Thomas Massie alleges ‘dirty tricks’

Massie conceded the Kentucky Republican primary on Tuesday after losing to Ed Gallrein, a former Navy SEAL heavily backed by Trump allies and outside conservative groups.

During his concession speech, Massie accused Washington power brokers of trying to “buy the seat” after years of frustration over his independent voting record in Congress.

“They tried to buy my vote. They couldn't buy it,” Massie told supporters. “Why did the race get so expensive? They decided to buy the seat.”

The longtime congressman also claimed opponents used “a lot of dirty tricks” during the campaign but insisted he refused to respond the same way.

Massie’s defeat followed months of public attacks from Trump, who repeatedly criticized the Kentucky Republican for opposing parts of the GOP agenda and refusing to fully align himself with the president’s positions on foreign policy and military intervention.

In the final stretch of the campaign, Trump labeled Massie the “worst ‘Republican’ congressman in history” while urging voters to support Gallrein.

Thomas Massie’s clashes with Trump and foreign aid debates

Massie had increasingly become one of the Republican Party’s most vocal critics of foreign aid spending and US military involvement overseas.

He repeatedly argued that his “America First” position applied equally to all nations and defended his record of opposing foreign aid packages.

“I've got nothing against Israel. I just have never voted for foreign aid,” Massie previously said. “When I said America First, I meant it.”

Those positions drew strong criticism from pro-Israel groups and major donors who later invested heavily in Gallrein’s campaign.

Massie also highlighted his work surrounding the Epstein Transparency Act during his concession speech, claiming powerful global figures had already been affected by the effort.

“Today is the six-month anniversary of the Epstein Transparency Act,” Massie said. “We’ve taken out two dozen CEOs, an ambassador, a prince, a prime minister.”