Thomas Massie's Moment Has Come

Plus: Ed Gallrein won't talk about his background, and Sen. Bill Cassidy bites the dust.

Friends of Rep. Thomas Massie flocked to his Kentucky district to campaign for him over the weekend, drawing the ire of the libertarian-leaning Republican's number one hater: Donald Trump. The furious president called for a new wave of reprisals against those who would defy him, including Rep. Lauren Boebert (R–Col.), who said she supported both Massie and Trump.

"Boebert is campaigning for the Worst 'Republican' Congressman in the History of our Country, Thomas Massie, of the Great Commonwealth of Kentucky, and anybody who can be that dumb deserves a good Primary fight!" seethed Trump on Truth Social. "Even though I long ago endorsed Boebert, if the right person came along, it would be my Honor to withdraw that Endorsement, and endorse a good and proper alternative."

Boebert, to her credit, was not cowed, replying on X that she was "proud to stand by my friend Thomas Massie."

Sen. Rand Paul (R–Ky.) and Rep. Victoria Spartz (R–Ind.) have also campaigned for Massie.

Massie's Race Matters! pic.twitter.com/gdiW7kIUkE

— Lauren Boebert (@laurenboebert) May 18, 2026

The president's allies are throwing everything they can at Massie, including a last-minute accusation of personal misconduct involving a former girlfriend. Despite headline after headline proclaiming that the congressman was involved with some sort of "hush money" payment, the actual details are not nearly so salacious: According to Massie, he gave the ex-girlfriend, Cynthia West, between $5,000 and $10,000 to help her move to Washington, D.C. West subsequently obtained, and then lost, a job in Sparz's office, and filed a wrongful termination suit. Both Massie and Sparz deny that she was offered "hush money" by Massie. On the contrary, the Office of Congressional Workplace Rights offered her $60,000 to settle the suit, which she refused.

It's the sort of non-scandal that wouldn't even merit media coverage, but Trump's social media boosters have seized upon it. Laura Loomer has posted about Massie incessantly on X, and is even planning to release some sort of interview with West.

This all goes to show that within the Republican Party, crossing Trump is still a risky move. Massie is popular within his district, but Trump is putting everything he can to tip the scales in favor of Massie's challenger, Ed Gallrein. With both sides spending a combined $35 million on the race, it has already become the most expensive congressional primary in history.

Meanwhile, Gallrein is running an anemic campaign that consists entirely of coasting on Trump's endorsement. Gallrein has skipped every debate and refused to answer basic questions about his background. Independent journalist Ken Klippenstein notes that Gallrien has been deliberately vague about his time as a Navy SEAL, leaving voters to assume that he was involved in secret missions. Gallrein has bragged that Trump reviewed his classified files—and if he's good enough for Trump, he suggests, he should be good enough for Republican primary voters.

Needless to say, Gallrein has dutifully backed Trump completely, even on issues that are a tough sell for some Republicans, to say nothing of general election voters. Gallrein has defended Trump's war with Iran and dismissed concerns from constituents about higher gas prices. He has claimed that Trump is playing "five-dimensional chess" against the Iranians. He subsequently altered the analogy to "nine-dimensional chess." Trump's ability to win at chess is expanding beyond the physical constraints of this universe.

Tuesday's primary is expected to be close. Some recent polling has Massie trailing Gallrein, and the challenger is also ahead in prediction markets. Another occasional Trump foe, Sen. Bill Cassidy (R–La.), lost his primary over the weekend, coming in third and missing the run-off. Cassidy had voted to remove Trump from office after January 6 and thwarted some of the Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s initiatives. Now he's gone: Trump may be unpopular in national polls, but within the Republican Party, he's still collecting scalps.

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Scenes from Washington, D.C.: It was a gorgeous weekend in the nation's capital, with temperatures finally consistently in the 80s on Sunday. I attended a graduation party, a brunch with other journalists, and the annual Dragon Boat Festival, a Taiwanese cultural event.

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QUICK HITS

• Trump's statements about delaying weapons sales to Taiwan have raised some eyebrows.
• Trump also said that China pledged not to provide military assistance to Iran during the current war.
• Some students protested Jonathan Haidt, who spoke at New York University's commencement last week. His remarks were published by The Atlantic.
• New data center construction is becoming more and more controversial.
• Megan McArdle: "Is France really poorer than Mississippi?" The answer is yes.
• Elon Musk just can't stop complaining about the casting for Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey. Here is the academic Oliver Traldi's excellent contribution to this idiotic discourse:

To settle a troublesome discourse, I have provided here the most faithful and poetic possible translation of the beginning of the Odyssey.

We male sex. We
complex. We

fake horse. We
off course. We

sail long. We
hear song. We

pig crew. We
home soon.

— Oliver Traldi (@olivertraldi) May 17, 2026

Comments

[Fist of Etiquette]

"Boebert is campaigning for the Worst 'Republican' Congressman in the History of our Country, Thomas Massie, of the Great Commonwealth of Kentucky, and anybody who can be that dumb deserves a good Primary fight!" seethed Trump on Truth Social.

We know Trump can't get down tickets elected. We'll see if the reverse is true.

[Fist of Etiquette]

I KNOW TECHNICALLY MASSIE ISN'T DOWN TICKET NOW SO SHUT UP.

[JesseAz (RIP CK)]

Its all the jews fault anyways, just ask him.

TheBlaze
@theblaze
Thomas Massie claims Israel is trying to buy his seat in Congress: “By the time this is over, they will probably have spent $20 million and come up short.”

https://x.com/theblaze/status/2055419671118020710

[Quicktown Brix]

Can you recognize a difference between Jews and Israel?

[Nelson]

Not unless he wants to. Then it’s all he recognizes.

[Zeb]

Whether or not you can attribute it directly to Israel, the pro-Israel lobby does spend a lot of money in US politics. I don't think his claim is really all that shy of the mark.

[Fist of Etiquette]

I attended a graduation party, a brunch with other journalists, and the annual Dragon Boat Festival, a Taiwanese cultural event.

A nice weekend for cultural appropriation, it seems.

[Fist of Etiquette]

I think I should get credit for not zeroing in on the brunch with journalists thing. It was obvious bait.

[Don't look at me! ( Is the war over yet?)]

You are an inspiration.

[Fist of Etiquette]

I'd like to think so.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Trump's statements about delaying weapons sales to Taiwan have raised some eyebrows.

No problem, they still have their dragon boat.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Trump also said that China pledged not to provide military assistance to Iran during the current war.

They'll still be sending Chinese-made missiles, but as we've seen that isn't really all that helpful for Iran.

[Nelson]

OK, that tickled my funny bone.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Some students protested-

Stop right there.

[BYODB]

I assume the author is aware that Boebert is a fucking idiot that shouldn't be allowed anywhere near government, yes? Not exactly a glowing endorsement of Massie, like him or not.

[JesseAz (RIP CK)]

Once they criticize trump they become media darlings.

See: bulwark, cheney, Christie, mtg, etc

[Don't look at me! ( Is the war over yet?)]

You can just see what he’s thinking in that picture:
“I’d like to tap that”.

[Fist of Etiquette]

New data center construction is becoming more and more controversial.

Finally, people are watching the Terminator movies for the message and not just the action.

[JesseAz (RIP CK)]

Scenes from New York:

Iran’s proxy terror network reached a Manhattan courtroom Friday. An Iraqi national was charged with coordinating at least 20 attacks against U.S. and Israeli interests across Europe and Canada, including a plot to bomb a synagogue in New York City, which federal agents dismantled before anyone was killed.

https://legalinsurrection.com/2026/05/iran-backed-terror-operative-charged-in-nyc-synagogue-plot/

Councilwoman Inna Vernikov
@InnaVernikov
This is an ALL GIRLS Jewish school in my district. I’m all for prayer and free speech, but why do a bunch of GROWN MEN need to do this right outside of a school full of little Jewish girls??? Is not this what MOSQUES are for? Is this intentional? Mayor Mamdani
@NYCMayor
any words of wisdom on why all of a sudden they’d feel compelled to do this?

https://x.com/InnaVernikov/status/2055383482210066701

Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani
@NYCMayor
Today marks Nakba Day, an annual day of remembrance to commemorate the expulsion of more than 700,000 Palestinians between 1947 and 1949 during the creation of the State of Israel and the year that followed.

Inea is a New Yorker and a Nakba survivor. She shared her story with us — one of home, tradition and memory over generations.

For those who dont know what nakba actually is...

Soccer Facts
@Soccer_Stats
The "Nakba" (Catastrophe) was the abject failure of the Combined Might of the Arab World to Annihilate Israel in 1948 and drive the Jews into the Sea

It would only be Decades later that the so-called "Palestinians" hijacked the term for their own use

[JesseAz (RIP CK)]

More scenes.

Hamas flags fly in new york.

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/hamas-hezbollah-flags-fly-anti-israel-protest-minutes-mamdani-condemns-terror-plot-jews

[Fist of Etiquette]

"Is France really poorer than Mississippi?" The answer is yes.

Even culturally?

[JesseAz (RIP CK)]

The answer is yes.

[Don't look at me! ( Is the war over yet?)]

Elon Musk just can't stop complaining about the casting for Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey.

Skin color is the most important thing.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Elon Musk just can't stop complaining about the casting for Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey.

As an African American himself, Musk gets a pass complaining about race swaps.

[Rev Arthur L kuckland (5-30-24 banana republic day)]

If Oliver is an acedemic, the institution that gave him a degree and the institution that hired him should loose all accredidation

[mad.casual]

It's a joke satirizing Wilson's terse, mechanical, "iambic", and-totally-not-modern-feminist-biased interpretation of The Odyssey.

SSDD, with modern, woke, feminism trying to "fix" things that aren't broken and, even by their own conceptions and premises, make them worse.

Again, for all the "men are emotionally cloistered, if not stunted, compared to women", "men are brusquely terse in their communication", and general "Women are better communicators", Wilson's translation is the Ikea Instructions version The Odyssey.

[JesseAz (RIP CK)]

Governor mcdreamy finally does the right thing and commutes Peters.

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/colorado-governor-commutes-tina-peters-sentence-trump-posts-free-tina

Granted he let her languish for over a year in jail. And months after a Democrat facing the same charges got 0 days in jail.

Polis was even forced to point out she was jailed for speech, not for her crimes, woth her 9 year sentence.

[JesseAz (RIP CK)]

They are just ideas.

Latest estimat puts Chinese theft of IP at 600B a year. This doesnt include the billions spent on company security.

https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/chinese-espionage-steals-600-billion-us-firms-yearly-time-government-act

[JesseAz (RIP CK)]

Corporate media is pure! Also left wing NGOs have embedded 80 journalists in corporate media, funded by left wing groups.

https://nypost.com/2026/05/14/media/cult-like-effective-altruism-spreading-its-message-among-the-influential-with-80-journalists-embedded-at-top-news-orgs/

[JesseAz (RIP CK)]

NBC did the meme!

NBC News
@NBCNews
The resignation of a Southern California mayor who pleaded guilty to acting as a foreign agent for China has sparked backlash and reignited fears of anti-Asian discrimination.

https://x.com/NBCNews/status/2055226799269777431

[Mike Parsons]

the shark has been jumped at this point

COVID was the height of "thats racist!" times and no one even then took seriously the "saying COVID is from China is racist" schtick, even then.

Now? Shit, this meme is so meta level at this point that using it in earnest, I can only assume is just admitting the game and to not even look like you are trying anymore.

[JesseAz (RIP CK)]

Spanberger vetos union bill that would pay government unions more. But dont worry. She didnt do it from fiscal restraint. She did it because the state senate rejected her amendment to push the date itnstarts past her term. She knows it will blow up state spending and didnt want the responsibility.

https://www.iaff.org/news/spanberger-breaks-campaign-pledge-vetoes-collective-bargaining-bill/

[Mickey Rat]

"Elon Musk just can't stop complaining about the casting for Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey. Here is the academic Oliver Traldi's excellent contribution to this idiotic discourse:"

The casting decisions are probably being driven in some part by the Academy imposing racial quotas in casting for Oscar consideration. On the other hand, what is the artistic point of making the ancient Greek mythological epitome of female beauty a very black woman? Especially in this elite cultural environment that openly disdains Western culture and hatred toward the ethnic peoples that created it?

[JesseAz (RIP CK)]

You'd never demand Chelsea handler play Rosa parks in a movie.

[Rev Arthur L kuckland (5-30-24 banana republic day)]

Who knew Achilles biggest weakness was a pickle jar

[Don't look at me! ( Is the war over yet?)]

It’s a stunt to get people to talk about a crappy movie.

[Mike Parsons]

it was a bad move. Its a Nolan movie packed with stars, so im sure they wont likely lose money on this (like so much modern crap does), but I do think its going to blunt the sales.

I went from being 99% sure I would go see it in IMAX (I am a bit of a Nolan fan) to I am just going to watch it for free when it comes to (X) streaming service.

I love epic fantasy, and these kind of moves just fully take you out of the movie. Similar to the Rings of Power putting in black elves, and black queen/monarchs retconned into a world that was distinctly based on medieval Europe. And Gladiator 2 putting in Denzel (who I love) who looked out of place, and more importantly, *sounded* out of place. Im sorry, you cant just be current Denzel in ancient Rome and not completely take me out of the movie.

[Rev Arthur L kuckland (5-30-24 banana republic day)]

The face that launched a thousand cryps

[mad.casual]

Here is the academic Oliver Traldi's excellent contribution to this idiotic discourse:

Oliver Traldi @olivertraldi · Dec 27, 2024
Oh, you've never read one of the greatest works of literature ever? Perfect timing - there's a new translation that sucks and reading it will make you feel like you're not a Republican which is the only emotion you're capable of having

Librarian Mama @hyuumanatees
"Oh, you've never read The Odyssey???"

Your timing is perfect. Emily Wilson's translation is the best one in literally ages, has that sweet iambic pentameter to give it a "bouncy" feel, & makes dudebros cry that the classic has "gone woke". 😁

[Mike Parsons]

I was never aware of her translation. It really is sad. Its so dumbed down and so full of propaganda. It clearly is the ideal fodder for a college course full of 90 IQ midwits who think they are capable of discussing anything academic, but dont actually have the capacity to consume anything that isn't basically the same propaganda they spend their entire college careers studying, in the most infantilized form.

"Do you want some more intersectional feminism, but big words are hard? Emily Wilson's version is perfect for you!"