Kentucky Congressman Thomas Massie defeated in Republican primary

Republican U.S. Representative Thomas Massie of Kentucky had publicly expressed confidence ahead of the Tuesday primary, saying that recent remarks from former President Donald Trump signaled a likely loss for the incumbent. Massie, who previously criticized the war in Iran, Trump’s handling of the Epstein case, and voted against the president’s major tax cuts, was nonetheless forced to concede defeat after the vote. The loss means Massie will leave Congress, ending his term as the state’s representative.

His campaign had highlighted his independence from Trump, but the primary results underline the challenges faced by incumbents who diverge from the former president’s agenda within the GOP.