Trump’s Kentucky Rally Exposes GOP Rift Over Massie

President Donald Trump’s attempt to rally Kentucky Republicans behind a loyalist congressional candidate exposed a visible divide in the party Saturday, as voters offered a muted response to his attacks on Rep. Thomas Massie.

The president traveled to Highland Heights to campaign for Ed Gallrein, who defeated Massie in the Republican primary for a U.S. House seat. Trump engineered that primary outcome after Massie opposed the Iran war and pushed for the release of the Jeffrey Epstein files. When Trump called Massie a “jerk” and a “loser” from the stage, roughly half the arena clapped. The rest stayed silent.

That tepid reaction underscores the challenge facing Republicans heading into the midterms. Control of both chambers of Congress is at stake. A Democratic majority would open the door to investigations of the administration, prompting Trump to urge supporters to “pretend that I’m on the ballot.” Party officials privately worry his declining approval ratings are dragging down candidates.

Voter frustration has mounted over tariffs and the nearly eight-month conflict with Iran, both of which have driven up prices. Trump told the crowd the war would end soon — a claim he has repeated frequently since the fighting began — and promised gas prices would fall below previous levels.

He also spent time detailing the reach of his second term. Discussing his directive to change how the federal government refers to the Gulf of Mexico, renaming it the Gulf of America, Trump said tech companies now defer to him. “I don’t think I could have done this in my first term. This is a much more powerful term,” he said, according to remarks delivered at the rally. “Google wouldn’t have taken my call in the first. Now, they kiss my ass.” He added that he had similarly renamed Lake Ontario to Lake America.

The executive actions extend beyond maps. Trump nominated one of his personal lawyers for attorney general, ordered military strikes on boats accused of drug smuggling, and moved to place his name on the Kennedy Center. Reports indicate he and his family have enriched themselves while he has been in office.

On policy, Trump revived a promise that every adult American would receive $5,000 if Republicans hold the House and Senate. Such a payout would cost more than $1 trillion, require congressional approval, and add to an annual budget deficit approaching $1.8 trillion. He also warned that a Democratic victory would trigger a depression, falsely claiming the opposing party wants to abolish the U.S. Senate and U.S. Supreme Court. Neither proposal exists in the Democratic platform, though Trump has sought to tie mainstream Democrats to the Democratic Socialists of America, whose candidates won a handful of primaries this year.

For Kentucky specifically, Trump offered a conditional pledge: if Republicans win, the Department of Defense would invest in revitalizing a drug manufacturing facility in the state.