Pete Hegseth boosts Trump-backed challenger to Rep. Thomas Massie ahead of Kentucky primary

2026 ElectionPete Hegseth boosts Trump-backed challenger to Rep. Thomas Massie ahead of Kentucky primaryIt’s highly unusual for the defense secretary to participate in a political event. Massie has opposed the Trump administration’s handling of the war in Iran.Add NBC News to GoogleThomas Massie calls his primary 'a national referendum' as he faces Trump-backed challenger10:51Get more newsLiveonShareAdd NBC News to GoogleMay 18, 2026, 2:19 PM EDTBy Rebecca ShabadDefense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Monday spoke at a campaign event boosting the President Donald Trump-backed challenger to Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., ahead of Kentucky’s primary elections on Tuesday.Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.“I’m proud here to stand with Ed Gallrein, because he led warriors in combat,” Hegseth said at an event in Hebron, Kentucky. “He led at the very highest levels of special operations. He served with distinction as a Navy SEAL, rose into leadership within the elite ranks of SEAL Team Six, one of the most demanding combat organizations on planet earth.”The event was hosted by the nonprofit organization America First Works, a pro-Trump group. Gallrein, who entered the race after Trump’s urging, spoke shortly before Hegseth.In his remarks, Gallrein said service members “deserve a commander-in-chief who has their back and leaders they can trust. They have them in Donald Trump, and they have them in Pete Hegseth, don’t they?”It’s highly unusual for the defense secretary to participate in a political event. Massie, a vocal Trump critic who led the campaign for the release of government records on Jeffrey Epstein, was first elected to Congress in 2012. Massie has also opposed Trump and Hegseth’s handling of the Iran war.Hegseth nodded to the atypical nature of his appearance in his remarks, saying, “I have to say up front, for the lawyers, that I’m here in my personal capacity as a private citizen, a fellow Ameri...