Trump racks up May primary victories in Republican retaliation campaign

President Donald Trump went on a winning streak in the May primaries as he ousted several Republicans who had opposed his party line, strengthening his hold on the Republican Party.

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Trump endorsed 10 candidates against Republican incumbents in primaries this month, and all but two won, with one of the contests still too close to call.

Defeating sitting lawmakers, who often have profile and fundraising advantages, is no easy task. Many of Trump’s favored candidates have received boosts from his political team and millions of dollars in foreign aid.

Meanwhile, some Trump critics could still use their final months in office to oppose his agenda, even if they lose.

But Trump’s winning streak over the past four weeks makes one thing clear: This is still Trump’s party, and he can unseat you if he wants.

Trump’s biggest target

Trump’s main target this month was Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, a persistent thorn in his side in Congress who has resisted him on spending, the Iran war and the Epstein files in recent months.

Massie lost last week’s primary to Trump-backed Navy veteran Ed Gallrein by 10 points, 55% to 45%. Still, Massie saw a glimmer of hope in his performance.

“Look, I got 45 percent of the vote despite this huge headwind. That means 45 percent of the party still believes in the ideals that I believe in and espoused in Washington, D.C.,” Massie told NBC News’ “Meet the Press” on Sunday.

Massie blamed his loss on the millions of dollars spent against him. More than $33 million in ads flooded the airwaves in his district, making his race the most expensive primary in history, according to AdImpact.

Trump and his allies hailed Massie’s loss as another sign that his support remains a powerful force within the party.

“We took everybody out,” Trump said at a rally in New York last week.

Impeachment supporter falls

Trump was also referring to Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, who lost his primary just days before Massie.

Cassidy was one of seven Republican senators — and one of three still serving today — who voted to convict Trump on impeachment charges stemming from the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the Capitol.

In his first election since that vote, Cassidy, who is in his second term, won only 25% of his primaries, failing to advance to the June 27 runoff when he ran behind Trump-backed Rep. Julia Letlow and state Treasurer John Fleming. Letlow won 45% of the vote, far from the majority threshold to win the primary, while Fleming won 28%.

Cassidy did not mention Trump by name as he accepted his defeat on May 16, but he appeared to reference Trump’s false claims that the 2020 election was stolen.

“When you participate in democracy, sometimes things don’t go the way you want them to. But you don’t pout, you don’t complain, you don’t claim the election was stolen, you don’t find a reason, you don’t make up an excuse,” Cassidy said. “You thank the voters for the privilege of representing the state or the country for as long as you have had that privilege, and that’s what I’m doing right now.”

Victories in Indiana

Trump’s first victories this month came in Indiana, where he backed seven primary challengers to Republican senators who defied efforts to redraw the state’s congressional lines and bolster Republicans in the midterms.

Five Trump-backed challengers gained the upper hand, aided by outside groups aligned with Trump. One race, between Sen. Spencer Deery and Fountain County GOP Chairwoman Paula Copenhaver, remains too close to call. They are separated by only three votes and the race is headed to a recount.

State Sen. Greg Goode was the only Republican senator to defeat his Trump-backed challenger.

State Sen. Greg Walker, who lost to Trump-backed state Rep. Michelle Davis, told NBC News’ “Meet the Press NOW” that he doesn’t regret opposing the redistricting effort.

“I made the right choice,” Walker said. “My first words when I heard about it were that it was ridiculous and it was going to backfire. Obviously, on a national level, it backfired.”

Walker said the primaries sent “a clear message of retaliation.”

“I have to ask the people who voted here in District 41 or anyone across the country, do you think Indiana serves better when we are under coercion and threat? Or do you think we serve better as legislators when we are allowed to have our own cognitive abilities, to reason and use our best judgment?” he said.

Last-minute Texas triumph

Fresh off his victories in Indiana and Louisiana and on the verge of a victory against Massie, Trump decided to bring in one more incumbent Republican.

Last week, he endorsed state Attorney General Ken Paxton in the Texas Senate Republican primary runoff, choosing him over longtime Sen. John Cornyn. Cornyn was the first to gain votes in the initial March 3 primary, but failed to secure a majority in a multi-candidate field, pushing the race into a runoff against Paxton.

Trump’s decision to support Paxton drew sharp reactions from some Republicans, including several of Cornyn’s colleagues in the Senate, who argued that Paxton could put his seat at risk if he becomes the GOP nominee. Paxton was impeached in 2023 on bribery and corruption charges, although he was acquitted, and his wife filed for divorce last year on “biblical grounds.”

Trump’s last-minute endorsement came as Paxton’s team argued he was likely to win. His campaign shared a poll with Trump showing him ahead in the primary, according to longtime Trump ally and Paxton supporter Steve Bannon, and a person close to Trump said Paxton’s advantage in the polls factored into Trump’s endorsement decision.

Paxton went on to beat Cornyn by nearly 20 points, 64% to 36%.

Some Texas Republicans said Wednesday that Trump’s support helped give Paxton a decisive victory.

“I think we went from a likely Paxton victory, even though those of us who have been longtime friends of John Cornyn were hoping for the opposite outcome, to an extremely likely victory,” said George Seay, a longtime Cornyn friend and donor.

“Clearly, the president is having an impact on the base that hasn’t been seen in our lifetimes,” Seay added.

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