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Hegseth unleashes on Massie in GOP primary showdown against Trump-backed Navy SEAL vet
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HEBRON, KY – Ed Gallrein, the Republican congressional candidate backed by President Donald Trump who is challenging Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky for the GOP nomination, landed extra firepower on the eve of the state’s primary.
Gallrein, a former Navy SEAL and Kentucky farmer, was joined on the campaign trail Monday by Secretary of War Pete Hegseth.
Massie has long been one of Trump’s most vocal GOP critics in Congress and the Republican primary in Kentucky’s 4th Congressional District, in the north-central part of the state, the latest test of Trump’s immense grip over the GOP.
«President Trump needs reinforcements, and that’s what war fighters do. They stand behind leaders and have their back,» Hegseth said at an event organized by America First Works, a Trump-aligned nonprofit political advocacy group.
TRUMP SCORES MAJOR PRIMARY VICTORY AS CASSIDY OUSTED IN LOUSIANA
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, right, joins former Navy SEAL Ed Gallrein, at an event on the eve of Kentucky’s primary, in Hebron, Kentucky on May 18, 2026. Gallrein is backed by President Donald Trump as he primary challenges Rep. Thomas Massie for the GOP nomination in the state’s fourth congressional district. (Jessica Sonkin/Fox News)
Massie, a libertarian-minded lawmaker who repeatedly takes aim at the president over foreign policy, including the Iran war and unconditional U.S. military aid to Israel, also successfully pushed for the release of government files related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
But Hegseth argued that Massie’s record is one of «too much grandstanding, too few great votes, years of acting like being difficult is the same thing as being courageous. It’s not. Real courage means stepping up when the mission matters most, when we need that tough vote to beat left-wing lunatic Democrats the most.»
«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 added.
Hegseth’s remarks, which came soon after a stop at nearby Fort Campbell to award medals for service members, were rare for the civilian head of the nation’s military. Defense secretaries have traditionally avoided appearing at political events.
Ahead of the stop, Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said Hegseth would appear only «in his personal capacity» and that «no taxpayer dollars will be used to facilitate his visit.»
Hegseth noted the unusual appearance.
«I have to say up front, for the lawyers, that I’m here in my personal capacity as a private citizen, a fellow American, and a fellow combat veteran.»
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But Massie, who’s locked in a competitive clash with Gallrein in what’s become the most expensive congressional primary in history, claimed in a Fox News Digital interview on Monday that Hegseth’s stop «shows that I’m up in the polls. They wouldn’t be sending the Secretary of War to my congressional district if I weren’t.»
«I think it also shows I’m tougher than Iran, and I don’t even have a nuclear weapon. I mean, they are all in at this race. It’s basically a national race at this point, the most expensive race primary in congressional history, and that’s because, you know, I’m up there, I’m getting things done. I got the Epstein files released, I’m getting legislation in the farm bill, I’m getting legislation passed on the floor, and they want to shut me down,» Massie emphasized.
Gallrein, speaking with Fox News Digital ahead of his event with Hegseth, charged that Massie’s «running against President Trump, and the agenda that has been put forward by the Republican Party.»
Kentucky’s primary is being held two weeks after Indiana’s primary, where Trump-backed challengers ousted five sitting Republican state senators who last December teamed up with Democrats to defeat the president’s push for congressional redistricting in the GOP-dominated Midwestern state.
And the ballot box showdown in Kentucky comes three days after Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana was ousted as he sought renomination. The senator came in third in the primary, behind Trump-backed Rep. Julia Letlow and conservative Louisiana Treasurer John Fleming.
Cassidy’s political defeat came five and a half years after he voted to convict Trump after he was impeached by the House for his role in the violent Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol by supporters who aimed to upend congressional certification of former President Joe Biden’s 2020 election victory. Trump was acquitted by the Senate.
Massie said he «absolutely can» overcome the Trump endorsement of Gallrein. «I’ve got the groundswell here, like my events. I’ve got 100-200 sometimes 300 people show up. My opponent had to cancel events because he couldn’t get enough people, you know, to fill up a Dairy Queen, half a Dairy Queen.»
SCOOP: TRUMP-BACKED FORMER NAVY SEAL LAUNCHES GOP PRIMARY CHALLENGE AGAINST MASSIE
Republican Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky campaigns on the eve of his state’s primary, in Mason County, Kentucky on May 18, 2026. (Paul Steinhauser/Fox News)
The race has become the most expensive in House history in terms of ad spending, with over $32 million shelled out, according to the nationally known ad tracking firm AdImpact.
Much of that money has been shelled out by Trump’s allies and pro-Israel groups.
«Here’s the thing, I’ve got nothing against Israel. I just have never voted for foreign aid. When I said America First, I meant it. I don’t vote for foreign aid to Egypt, to Syria, to Ukraine. I’ve got a flawless record on this, and I’m not going to ruin it by sending foreign aid to one country,» Massie said as he defended his stance on Israel.
And Massie touted that while Trump’s allies and pro-Israel groups have spent tens of millions to take him out, he said, «I’ve got tens of thousands of grassroots donors who are funding me $50 at a time, $20 at a time. We’ve been able to match them to go toe to toe with them on TV using grassroots donors, and it’s really galvanized the nation.»
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U.S. Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) leaves to speak with the media after the House voted 427-1 to approve the Epstein Files Transparency Act and the release of documents and files at the U.S. Capitol on November 18, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Roberto Schmidt/Getty Images)
Trump has repeatedly targeted Massie in social media posts in the closing days of the primary campaign.
The president said in a video posted to Truth Social on Monday that he hoped Kentucky voters would put Massie «out of business» and that «we’re in a fight against the worst congressman in the history of our country.»
And Trump praised Gallrein as «a great guy» and «a great patriot.»
But Massie said Trump’s taunts on social media may backfire.
«It shows he’s losing sleep, his reputation is on the line. He really shouldn’t have got involved in this race, because I vote with him 90% of the time,» the congressman said.
pete hegseth, donald trump, primary results, republicans, elections, house of representatives, kentucky
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WATCH: Eye-popping illegal immigration stat prompts senator’s demand to ‘redouble’ deportations
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Testimony from a policy analyst at a libertarian think tank was unexpectedly highlighted by immigration hawks after he delivered an opening statement at a House Judiciary Subcommittee hearing featuring controversial Fairfax County prosecutor Stephen Descano.
The hearing, chaired by Rep. Thomas McClintock, R-Calif., examined several examples of allegedly lax prosecutions by Descano involving illegal immigrants with prior rap sheets — including a Sierra Leone national accused of murdering a young woman at a bus stop on U.S. 1.
In his opening remarks, Cato Institute immigration expert David Bier testified that the «way to fix Fairfax» is not to continue the «mass deportation» agenda of President Donald Trump.
«The first step would be to give up on the mass deportation fantasy,» Bier said.
SOROS-BACKED PROSECUTOR SET FOR CAPITOL HILL GRILLING AS SANCTUARY POLICIES FACE RECKONING
Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney Stephen Descano, center, listens to testimony during a hearing before a House Judiciary Subcommittee. (Tom Williams/CQ via Getty Images)
«About 1-in-5 Fairfax residents is someone who could be deported or who lives with them — It would destroy neighborhoods, rip Americans away from their spouses, parents, friends, families, customers, employees, employers, nurses, nannies, and teachers.»
While Bier later added that he believes noncitizens who harm Americans should be deported, his earlier statement drew the attention of several immigration hawks, including Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah.
Lee borrowed Bier’s logic to prove immigration hardliners’ point that mass deportation is the right solution:
«On the contrary: 20% of a wealthy DC suburb being illegal immigrants means we should redouble our efforts to deport them all,» Lee said.
Bier responded to Lee’s comments in a lengthy statement to Fox News Digital, arguing the Utah Republican failed to explain why mass deportation would benefit Americans in Fairfax County.
«What was the senator’s explanation for [his] statement? The senator never says why it would benefit the country to harm Fairfax County and the Americans who live there, so there’s nothing to rebut,» Bier said.
FOX NEWS POLL: VOTERS VIEW LEGAL IMMIGRATION AS HELPFUL, FAVOR DEPORTING THOSE WHO ARE HERE ILLEGALLY
Cato Institute analyst David Bier testifies before Congress. (Graeme Sloan/Getty Images)
«The senator is wrong to characterize the 20% as all illegal immigrants since half of them are just people who live with illegal immigrants, which is precisely my point.»
«Mass deportation would harm those Americans and many others by ripping them away from their spouses, parents, children, friends, family, employees, employers, customers, nurses, nannies, and teachers,» the immigration expert added.
Bier said mass deportation becomes more expensive and impractical as the population of illegal immigrants grows, meaning continuing on the current course will harm Americans.
«I would ask the senator: how many Americans would have to be hurt by mass deportation before he would reconsider his views?»
Reached for additional comment, Lee spokesman Billy Gribbin told Fox News Digital that the Utahn «believes in enforcing US law and deporting illegal immigrants — not making excuses for criminals who hurt Americans.»
Fox News Digital also asked DHS about the apparent statistical admission, and an agency spokesperson blamed Gov. Abigail Spanberger’s «reckless sanctuary policies» for making Fairfax and the rest of the Old Dominion a «hotbed for illegal alien criminals.»
«The stories of the victims and facts speak for themselves. The sanctuary politicians of Fairfax County have blood on their hands,» the spokesperson said.
DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin added separately that half the murders recorded recently in Fairfax were allegedly perpetrated by «illegals who shouldn’t have been in our country to begin with.»
«We have politicians who want to protect the criminals, President Trump is still protecting all of our neighborhoods,» Mullin said.
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Bier’s 1-in-5 statistic was also cited in a CATO document footnoted to the K Street firm Migration Policy Institute. MPI’s data showed an estimated 102,000-person «unauthorized» population in Fairfax — which has a census count of about 1.2 million as of 2020.
The top «countries-of-birth» on MPI’s list in that regard were El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala, Bolivia and Peru, while only 4% combined was recorded from Canada, Europe and Oceania.
illegal immigrants, deportation, immigrant rights, sanctuary cities, markwayne mullin, virginia, politics
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Ricky Pineda, el niño descalzo que venció la pobreza y se convirtió en el primer médico indígena nicaragüense en EE.UU.
Ricky Leopoldo Pineda, nacido en la comunidad indígena de Amak, territorio Mayangna Sauni Bu, dentro de la Reserva de Biósfera Bosawás, en Nicaragua, se convirtió en el primer médico de su etnia y el primero en ejercer en un hospital de Estados Unidos.
A los veintiséis años, Pineda se convirtió en el orgullo de los suyos en un territorio olvidado por el Estado nicaragüense y marcado por la precariedad sanitaria, según lo documentó Voz de América, el periódico 100% Noticias y otros medios locales que documentaron la emotiva historia de este joven.
De los ocho hijos de la familia Pineda, Ricky era el tercero. La pobreza y el trabajo en el campo junto a su abuelo y su padre, Leopoldo Pineda Padilla, marcaron su infancia.
Desde los seis años, los niños de la zona acompañan a sus mayores a la montaña y a la siembra. Ricky asistía a la escuela descalzo, con un solo cuaderno, detallan las publicaciones.
La vocación de sacerdote se desvaneció el día en que su madre casi muere en un parto sin asistencia médica. “Muchas campesinas fallecían por muerte materna. Necesitaban a alguien que los ayudara”, explicó Ricky. El último parto de su madre ocurrió en una lancha, en medio de la selva, sin un médico, solo con una partera.
En 2022, la mortalidad materna en Nicaragua fue de 31.4 por cada 100,000 nacimientos. Ese año, 37 mujeres murieron en el país por causas asociadas al embarazo, sobre todo en el centro-norte y la Costa Caribe, según el Ministerio de Salud. La Organización Mundial de la Salud define muerte materna como aquella que ocurre desde la gestación hasta 42 días después del parto.
Una beca permitió a Pineda estudiar Medicina en la Universidad Católica del Trópico Seco (UCATSE) de 2015 a 2022. El obispo Abelardo Mata, entonces director de la universidad, facilitó el acceso a jóvenes sin recursos. El gobierno de Daniel Ortega clausuró la universidad y otras seis en febrero de 2022, alegando inconsistencias financieras.
Desde la mitad de la carrera, Ricky realizó prácticas prehospitalarias en centros de salud rurales. “Fui voluntario de los enfermeros, después estuve tres o cuatro meses en la montaña con las enfermeras. Íbamos a vacunar”. Ejercía de manera independiente, dando consultas privadas y visitando comunidades.
Anexa Alfred, del Mecanismo de Expertos sobre los Derechos de los Pueblos Indígenas, confirmó a Voz de América que las comunidades indígenas en Nicaragua enfrentan condiciones de extrema vulnerabilidad en salud y educación.
A los once años, Ricky dejó Amak para estudiar secundaria en Jinotega. No hablaba español. Una amiga de la familia le dio alojamiento. Aprendió el idioma mientras trabajaba limpiando jardines, enseñando mayangna y realizando otras tareas para costear sus estudios.
El trayecto se repitió en Estados Unidos. Antes de entrar al hospital, trabajó empaquetando productos y en un buffet. Su rutina incluía asistir a conferencias médicas y a la capilla del hospital para orar.
“Una cosa que doblé el esfuerzo es que yo iba las veces que podía a la capilla del hospital a orar para que Dios me diera una oportunidad, tan solo una”.
Obtuvo una beca para una maestría en Epidemiología y Salud Pública y presentó su currículum al UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital, en Denver. Tras superar exámenes y cursos, fue contratado en el área de cirugía, con turno completo de ocho horas. El idioma fue otra barrera: “Me esforcé el triple para poder aprender un poco y dar el salto a mi área, que es la medicina”.
En Denver recibió apoyo de otros médicos latinoamericanos, como Kenneth Meza y Daniel Fuenmayor. “Para mí significa muchísimo trabajar como el primer médico indígena de Nicaragua en un hospital tan prestigioso a nivel mundial como lo es UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital. Por encima de todo, la gracia y la gloria se las doy a Dios y a mi gente, que siempre han sido un motor para mí”.
Ricky sueña con especializarse en cirugía general y desarrollar la Fundación Dr. Ricky Bosawás, para apoyar a comunidades indígenas y promover oportunidades educativas para niños y jóvenes nicaragüenses.
“Mi mensaje a los jóvenes es que no tengan miedo de luchar por sus sueños, que sueñen alto y oren mucho a Dios, porque Dios cumple los sueños y nos lleva a lugares que nunca nos imaginamos”, contó a un medio local el joven.
Las luchas de Ricky Pineda llevan el nombre de su familia y de su comunidad, a la espera de que otro niño de Bosawás mire el hospital y piense que, algún día, el volar tan alto como él.
Ricky Pineda,Mayangna,Indígena,Médico,Nicaragua,Bosawás,Denver,UCHealth,Salud,Acuarela
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