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Ed Gallrein, Republican congressional candidate for Kentucky, greets US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth on stage during an event on May 18, 2026, in Hebron, Kentucky.
(Photo by Jon Cherry/Getty Images)
Thomas Massie Wants to End Trump’s Iran War—So Pete Hegseth Wants to End Massie
"President Trump does not need more people in Washington who are trying to make a point," said the Defense Secretary. "Especially from his own party."
May 18, 2026
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is being accused of violating long-standing Pentagon policy by going scorched earth on the campaign trail in Kentucky against the leading Republican critic of President Donald Trump's war against Iran, Rep. Thomas Massie.
Massie (R-Ky.), who has denounced the war as unauthorized and unconstitutional and become a leading Trump antagonist on other issues like the Jeffrey Epstein files and his plans to renovate the White House ballroom, has been hit with an avalanche of spending from MAGA-aligned and pro-Israel donors seeking his ouster on Tuesday in a Republican primary that has become the most expensive in the history of the US House of Representatives.
Trump has thrown his full weight behind Massie's challenger, retired Navy SEAL Ed Gallrein, who polls show about even with or slightly ahead of Massie.
It may be another case of Trump using his bully pulpit to turn GOP voters against Republicans who dare defy him, with Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) being the most recent casualty. The senator, who voted to convict Trump for his role in inciting the January 6, 2021 Capitol insurrection, was defeated in his primary over the weekend after Trump deemed him a "disloyal disaster" and endorsed a challenger.
On stage at a campaign event for Gallrein on Monday, in what The New York Times described as a "highly unusual" display of partisanship from an active defense secretary, Hegseth fulminated against Massie for showing anything less than absolute fealty to the president.
"President Trump does not need more people in Washington who are trying to make a point, especially from his own party. He needs people willing to help him win, to vote with him when it matters the most," Hegseth said. "And too often, Thomas Massie has acted like his job is to stand apart from the movement that President Trump leads instead of strengthening it."
"When President Trump needs backup, Massie wants to debate process," Hegseth said, referring perhaps to Massie's joining with Democrats to introduce war powers resolutions to require congressional approval of Trump's military actions in Iran and Venezuela.
"When the movement needs unity, especially at the biggest moment, Massie is willing to vote with Democrats," Hegseth continued. "When conservatives are fighting the most radical left in American history, too often Massie's instinct is to throw elbows at fellow Republicans instead of the people who are destroying our country or want to destroy our country, and there's one man standing in their way, and it’s Trump."
The watchdog group Democracy Forward sent a letter to the Defense Department's inspector general on Monday, arguing that Hegseth's speech violated the Pentagon's 2026 political activity rules under the Hatch Act, which says that Senate-confirmed presidential appointees are “expressly prohibit[ed]” from “taking an active part in... political campaigns," including making speeches for specific candidates.
The letter also notes that Hegseth was previously scheduled to "headline" a Top Gun-themed political fundraiser for Rep. Zach Nunn (R-Iowa) in March before it was abruptly canceled due to the Iran War.
“While flagrant violations of ethics laws and policies seem to be commonplace for this administration, Secretary Hegseth appears to have doubled down, violating his own agency’s specific regulations against politicking,” said Skye Perryman, the president and CEO of Democracy Forward. “Our national security and those charged to protect it must be above brash partisan politics."
For his part, Massie thinks the Trump administration's full-court press against him may play out in his favor. In response to a post on Truth Social by Trump, who called him the "worst Republican congressman in history," Massie said Sunday on ABC News, "I think it's going to help my fundraising," and said that "every time" the historically unpopular president "tweets about me, it's good for some money coming in because people don't like that."
"How did this race become the most expensive race in the history of Congress for a primary?" he continued.
"It's because three billionaires from outside of Kentucky have funneled millions of dollars in here," he said, referencing the $2 million donated to the MAGA KY PAC by a trio of top pro-Israel billionaires—hedge fund manager Paul Singer, investor John Paulson, and a group linked to casino mogul Miriam Adelson—which has been used to fund ads accusing Massie of disloyalty to Trump.
He said these donors, and other groups spending big money to oust him, like the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) and the Republican Jewish Committee (RJC), were "all part of the Israeli lobby" backing his opponent. Massie has been the most vocal Republican critic of Israel, calling for US military aid to be cut off in response to the genocide in Gaza.
He said his race "will be a referendum on foreign policy and whether Israel gets to dictate that by bullying members of Congress," adding, "I'm the one they haven't been able to bully."
Massie claimed he was "ahead in the polls" and that the Trump camp was "desperate."
"That's why they're sending the secretary of war to my district... That's why the president's losing sleep and tweeting about this. That's why AIPAC has dumped another $3 million into my race this weekend," he said. "It's because they're panicked."
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US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is being accused of violating long-standing Pentagon policy by going scorched earth on the campaign trail in Kentucky against the leading Republican critic of President Donald Trump's war against Iran, Rep. Thomas Massie.
Massie (R-Ky.), who has denounced the war as unauthorized and unconstitutional and become a leading Trump antagonist on other issues like the Jeffrey Epstein files and his plans to renovate the White House ballroom, has been hit with an avalanche of spending from MAGA-aligned and pro-Israel donors seeking his ouster on Tuesday in a Republican primary that has become the most expensive in the history of the US House of Representatives.
Trump has thrown his full weight behind Massie's challenger, retired Navy SEAL Ed Gallrein, who polls show about even with or slightly ahead of Massie.
It may be another case of Trump using his bully pulpit to turn GOP voters against Republicans who dare defy him, with Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) being the most recent casualty. The senator, who voted to convict Trump for his role in inciting the January 6, 2021 Capitol insurrection, was defeated in his primary over the weekend after Trump deemed him a "disloyal disaster" and endorsed a challenger.
On stage at a campaign event for Gallrein on Monday, in what The New York Times described as a "highly unusual" display of partisanship from an active defense secretary, Hegseth fulminated against Massie for showing anything less than absolute fealty to the president.
"President Trump does not need more people in Washington who are trying to make a point, especially from his own party. He needs people willing to help him win, to vote with him when it matters the most," Hegseth said. "And too often, Thomas Massie has acted like his job is to stand apart from the movement that President Trump leads instead of strengthening it."
"When President Trump needs backup, Massie wants to debate process," Hegseth said, referring perhaps to Massie's joining with Democrats to introduce war powers resolutions to require congressional approval of Trump's military actions in Iran and Venezuela.
"When the movement needs unity, especially at the biggest moment, Massie is willing to vote with Democrats," Hegseth continued. "When conservatives are fighting the most radical left in American history, too often Massie's instinct is to throw elbows at fellow Republicans instead of the people who are destroying our country or want to destroy our country, and there's one man standing in their way, and it’s Trump."
The watchdog group Democracy Forward sent a letter to the Defense Department's inspector general on Monday, arguing that Hegseth's speech violated the Pentagon's 2026 political activity rules under the Hatch Act, which says that Senate-confirmed presidential appointees are “expressly prohibit[ed]” from “taking an active part in... political campaigns," including making speeches for specific candidates.
The letter also notes that Hegseth was previously scheduled to "headline" a Top Gun-themed political fundraiser for Rep. Zach Nunn (R-Iowa) in March before it was abruptly canceled due to the Iran War.
“While flagrant violations of ethics laws and policies seem to be commonplace for this administration, Secretary Hegseth appears to have doubled down, violating his own agency’s specific regulations against politicking,” said Skye Perryman, the president and CEO of Democracy Forward. “Our national security and those charged to protect it must be above brash partisan politics."
For his part, Massie thinks the Trump administration's full-court press against him may play out in his favor. In response to a post on Truth Social by Trump, who called him the "worst Republican congressman in history," Massie said Sunday on ABC News, "I think it's going to help my fundraising," and said that "every time" the historically unpopular president "tweets about me, it's good for some money coming in because people don't like that."
"How did this race become the most expensive race in the history of Congress for a primary?" he continued.
"It's because three billionaires from outside of Kentucky have funneled millions of dollars in here," he said, referencing the $2 million donated to the MAGA KY PAC by a trio of top pro-Israel billionaires—hedge fund manager Paul Singer, investor John Paulson, and a group linked to casino mogul Miriam Adelson—which has been used to fund ads accusing Massie of disloyalty to Trump.
He said these donors, and other groups spending big money to oust him, like the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) and the Republican Jewish Committee (RJC), were "all part of the Israeli lobby" backing his opponent. Massie has been the most vocal Republican critic of Israel, calling for US military aid to be cut off in response to the genocide in Gaza.
He said his race "will be a referendum on foreign policy and whether Israel gets to dictate that by bullying members of Congress," adding, "I'm the one they haven't been able to bully."
Massie claimed he was "ahead in the polls" and that the Trump camp was "desperate."
"That's why they're sending the secretary of war to my district... That's why the president's losing sleep and tweeting about this. That's why AIPAC has dumped another $3 million into my race this weekend," he said. "It's because they're panicked."
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is being accused of violating long-standing Pentagon policy by going scorched earth on the campaign trail in Kentucky against the leading Republican critic of President Donald Trump's war against Iran, Rep. Thomas Massie.
Massie (R-Ky.), who has denounced the war as unauthorized and unconstitutional and become a leading Trump antagonist on other issues like the Jeffrey Epstein files and his plans to renovate the White House ballroom, has been hit with an avalanche of spending from MAGA-aligned and pro-Israel donors seeking his ouster on Tuesday in a Republican primary that has become the most expensive in the history of the US House of Representatives.
Trump has thrown his full weight behind Massie's challenger, retired Navy SEAL Ed Gallrein, who polls show about even with or slightly ahead of Massie.
It may be another case of Trump using his bully pulpit to turn GOP voters against Republicans who dare defy him, with Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) being the most recent casualty. The senator, who voted to convict Trump for his role in inciting the January 6, 2021 Capitol insurrection, was defeated in his primary over the weekend after Trump deemed him a "disloyal disaster" and endorsed a challenger.
On stage at a campaign event for Gallrein on Monday, in what The New York Times described as a "highly unusual" display of partisanship from an active defense secretary, Hegseth fulminated against Massie for showing anything less than absolute fealty to the president.
"President Trump does not need more people in Washington who are trying to make a point, especially from his own party. He needs people willing to help him win, to vote with him when it matters the most," Hegseth said. "And too often, Thomas Massie has acted like his job is to stand apart from the movement that President Trump leads instead of strengthening it."
"When President Trump needs backup, Massie wants to debate process," Hegseth said, referring perhaps to Massie's joining with Democrats to introduce war powers resolutions to require congressional approval of Trump's military actions in Iran and Venezuela.
"When the movement needs unity, especially at the biggest moment, Massie is willing to vote with Democrats," Hegseth continued. "When conservatives are fighting the most radical left in American history, too often Massie's instinct is to throw elbows at fellow Republicans instead of the people who are destroying our country or want to destroy our country, and there's one man standing in their way, and it’s Trump."
The watchdog group Democracy Forward sent a letter to the Defense Department's inspector general on Monday, arguing that Hegseth's speech violated the Pentagon's 2026 political activity rules under the Hatch Act, which says that Senate-confirmed presidential appointees are “expressly prohibit[ed]” from “taking an active part in... political campaigns," including making speeches for specific candidates.
The letter also notes that Hegseth was previously scheduled to "headline" a Top Gun-themed political fundraiser for Rep. Zach Nunn (R-Iowa) in March before it was abruptly canceled due to the Iran War.
“While flagrant violations of ethics laws and policies seem to be commonplace for this administration, Secretary Hegseth appears to have doubled down, violating his own agency’s specific regulations against politicking,” said Skye Perryman, the president and CEO of Democracy Forward. “Our national security and those charged to protect it must be above brash partisan politics."
For his part, Massie thinks the Trump administration's full-court press against him may play out in his favor. In response to a post on Truth Social by Trump, who called him the "worst Republican congressman in history," Massie said Sunday on ABC News, "I think it's going to help my fundraising," and said that "every time" the historically unpopular president "tweets about me, it's good for some money coming in because people don't like that."
"How did this race become the most expensive race in the history of Congress for a primary?" he continued.
"It's because three billionaires from outside of Kentucky have funneled millions of dollars in here," he said, referencing the $2 million donated to the MAGA KY PAC by a trio of top pro-Israel billionaires—hedge fund manager Paul Singer, investor John Paulson, and a group linked to casino mogul Miriam Adelson—which has been used to fund ads accusing Massie of disloyalty to Trump.
He said these donors, and other groups spending big money to oust him, like the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) and the Republican Jewish Committee (RJC), were "all part of the Israeli lobby" backing his opponent. Massie has been the most vocal Republican critic of Israel, calling for US military aid to be cut off in response to the genocide in Gaza.
He said his race "will be a referendum on foreign policy and whether Israel gets to dictate that by bullying members of Congress," adding, "I'm the one they haven't been able to bully."
Massie claimed he was "ahead in the polls" and that the Trump camp was "desperate."
"That's why they're sending the secretary of war to my district... That's why the president's losing sleep and tweeting about this. That's why AIPAC has dumped another $3 million into my race this weekend," he said. "It's because they're panicked."
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