In the wake of the Kentucky primary results, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) celebrated Rep. Thomas Massie‘s (R-KY) loss against Ed Gallrein, the former Navy SEAL whom President Donald Trump endorsed.“Look, I have nothing personal against Thomas Massie, but he votes with the Democrats most of the time, and he’s been a thorn in my side for a long time, so you know, politics isn’t personal up here. We need team players,” Johnson told Salem News Channel radio host Larry O’Connor on Wednesday.“We need people who are constitutional conservatives who understand the ‘America First’ agenda and want to help us deliver it,” Johnson said.
With Gallrein winning the Republican primary for Kentucky’s 4th Congressional District with nearly 55% of the vote against Massie’s 45%, Johnson framed the result as part of a broader wave of victories for Trump-backed conservatives across the country.
He pointed to Republican primary results nationwide as evidence that the GOP base continues to rally behind candidates aligned with the president.
NEW — @SpeakerJohnson celebrates the downfall of Thomas Massie:"He votes with the Democrats…and has been a thorn in my side for a LONG TIME.""We need team players…who understand the America First agenda!""This is a great trend.""I talked to the President…He…has… pic.twitter.com/j9PAkEfCQt— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) May 20, 2026
