Trump racks up May primary wins in Republican retribution campaign

2026 ElectionTrump racks up May primary wins in Republican retribution campaignTrump-backed candidates were largely victorious in May primaries, winning all but two races against incumbent Republicans. One of those contests is still too close to call.Listen to this article with a free account00:0000:00Add NBC News to GooglePaxton thanks Trump after Texas Senate primary win01:56Get more newsLiveonShareAdd NBC News to GoogleMay 27, 2026, 3:28 PM EDTBy Bridget BowmanPresident Donald Trump went on a winning streak in May primaries as he ousted several Republicans who had dissented from his party line, further tightening his grip on the GOP. Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.Trump endorsed 10 candidates against incumbent Republicans in primaries this month, and all but two of them won their races, with one of the contests still too close to call. Defeating sitting lawmakers, who often have advantages in name recognition and fundraising, is no easy feat. Many of Trump’s preferred candidates got boosts from the president’s political team and millions of dollars in outside help.Meanwhile, some of Trump’s detractors could still use their final months in office to push back on the president’s agenda, even though they lost their races. But Trump’s winning streak over the last four weeks makes one thing clear: It’s still Trump’s party, and he can take you down if he wants to. Trump’s biggest target Trump’s biggest target this month was Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, a persistent thorn in Trump’s side in Congress who has bucked the president 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%-45%. Still, Massie saw a silver lining in his performance. “Look, I got 45% of the vote in spite of this tremendous headwind. That means 45% of the party still believe in the ideals that I believe in and have espoused in W...