Thomas Massie blasts Trump allies after losing GOP House primary: ‘They decided to buy the seat’

HEBRON, KENTUCKY: Rep. Thomas Massie delivered a fiery concession speech on Tuesday, May 20, after losing his Republican primary race to Trump-backed challenger Ed Gallrein, accusing powerful political groups of spending millions to take him down after years of failing to control his vote in Congress.

Massie, who has long clashed with President Donald Trump and members of the Republican establishment, told supporters gathered at a northern Kentucky hotel that outside forces “decided to buy the seat” when they realized they could not influence him politically.

“I have called and conceded the race. We've been honorable the whole time, and we're going to stay that way,” Massie said before turning his attention toward the massive spending and political attacks that surrounded the race.

Thomas Massie says opponents tried to ‘buy the seat’

Massie suggested his defeat was the result of a coordinated political effort backed by Trump allies and pro-Israel donor groups who aggressively targeted him during the campaign.

“They tried to buy my vote. They couldn't buy it,” Massie told the crowd. “Why did the race get so expensive? They decided to buy the seat. It got real expensive for them.”

The longtime Kentucky congressman also accused his opponents of using underhanded tactics throughout the race, but claimed he refused to respond in kind.

“They used a lot of dirty tricks, but we stayed the course... we didn't throw a foul ball,” he said.

Massie’s race became one of the most closely watched Republican primaries in the country after Trump repeatedly attacked him in public and endorsed Gallrein, a former Navy SEAL and Kentucky farmer.

In the final days before the primary, Trump called Massie the “worst ‘Republican’ congressman in history” while urging voters to back Gallrein.

Gallrein supported Trump’s criticism during the campaign and argued that Massie had positioned himself against the Republican Party’s agenda.

But Massie insisted throughout the race that he still had strong grassroots support despite the pressure from Washington.

He previously argued that his campaign events consistently drew large crowds while his opponent struggled to generate similar enthusiasm.

Thomas Massie takes aim at Washington power players

During his speech, Massie portrayed himself as a lawmaker targeted for refusing to bend to political pressure on issues involving foreign aid, war policy, and government transparency.

He pointed to his involvement in efforts surrounding the Epstein Transparency Act and claimed those efforts had already rattled powerful people across the globe.

“Today is the six-month anniversary of the Epstein Transparency Act. We’ve taken out two dozen CEOs, an ambassador, a prince, a prime minister, a minister of culture-that was just six months. I’ve got seven months left in Congress,” Massie said.

The Kentucky Republican had recently emerged as one of the loudest GOP critics of Trump’s approach toward Iran and military intervention overseas.

He also repeatedly defended his record against foreign aid spending, insisting his “America First” stance applied to every country equally.

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

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

Massie also mocked the level of political firepower deployed against him during the primary battle, including visits from high-profile Trump allies.

He had argued earlier that Pentagon Secretary Pete Hegseth campaigning for Gallrein showed the opposition believed Massie was leading in the polls.

Thomas Massie jokes about Ed Gallrein being in Tel Aviv

Massie also mixed humor into his concession speech while referencing the tense and bitter nature of the campaign.

“I would've come out sooner, but I had to call my opponent and concede. And it took a while to find Ed Gallrein in Tel Aviv,” Massie joked. “I did get the call through, though. I have called and conceded the race.”

The outgoing congressman compared the lengthy and expensive campaign to a historic conflict while describing just how intense the battle had become.

“Welcome to the most expensive congressional primary ever in the 250-year history of this country,” Massie said. “It's not just the most expensive. This thing went on longer than Vietnam.”

Massie’s defeat marked another major political victory for Trump, whose endorsements have recently helped reshape Republican primaries across the country.

The president had personally campaigned against Massie as far back as March, labeling him “disloyal” to both the Republican Party and the United States.

Despite surviving previous primary challenges in 2022 and 2024, Massie ultimately fell short against Gallrein, who emerged as the strongest opponent the congressman had faced since first winning election to the House in 2012.