President Donald Trump got his desire on Tuesday evening as Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY), a longtime thorn in his side who frequently bucks the GOP on key votes and co-sponsored the bill to release the Jeffrey Epstein case files, lost his re-nomination to MAGA-endorsed former Navy SEAL Ed Gallrein.
The result triggered a firestorm from commenters on social media, many of whom noted the president's ongoing power and control over the electorate of the Republican Party.
"Another scalp for President Trump," wrote Fox News reporter Bill Melugin.
"Donald Trump has scored a major win in Kentucky, where Ed Gallrein has defeated Rep. Thomas Massie after Trump endorsed Gallrein and outside groups poured heavily into the race," wrote VoteHub's Zachary Donnini. "The result removes one of Trump’s most visible Republican critics from Congress."
"Thomas Massie made the closing argument in his incumbency campaign about Israel, and he barnstormed the district with influencers to make that case," wrote commentator Jordan Schachtel. "Turns out the citizens of KY-4 care more about Kentucky & America than they do about hyper online lunatics & their obsessions."
"Ed Gallrein defeats Thomas Massie in Kentucky 4," wrote Clay Travis of the right-wing site OutKick. "Trump goes 3 for 3 in his targets in primaries — Indiana state senators, Bill Cassidy in Louisiana and now Thomas Massie in Kentucky."
"Massie, Cassidy, Cornyn, the Indiana Rs — it’s retribution 2.0 for Trump, only for the GOP this time," wrote NOTUS' Igor Bobic. "Huge message for other Rs thinking about crossing him."
"If Thomas Massie loses, there needs to be a mass exodus from the Republican Party, and he should lead the way by running for President as an Independent or in a Third Party," wrote Liam McCollum of the Montana Libertarian Party.