Tuesday, May 19, 2026
Monday, May 18, 2026
Pro-Israel Forces Throw Kitchen Sink At Massie Ahead Of Tuesday Primary
Eleven months after President Trump launched an all-out political war on Rep. Thomas Massie, the Tuesday, May 19 Kentucky GOP primary is almost here. With polls showing the race going down to the wire, the anti-Massie forces -- whose animus is largely driven by Massie's refusal to vote in accordance with the Israel lobby's wishes -- have been throwing everything they can at him, from vague 11th-hour allegations of inappropriate conduct with a woman, to AI ads showing Massie entering a hotel room with progressive congresswomen, to a new round of Trump social media rants and enough money to make the contest the most expensive House primary in US history. Massie's challenger is former Navy SEAL Ed Gallrein.
In just the past few days, various anti-Massie PACs have filed disclosures indicating another huge load of cash showering down on the race. The Republican Jewish Coalition is spending another $470,000. The misleadingly-named United Democracy Project, which is a PAC affiliated with the formidable American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), revealed more than $950,000 in additional spending. The MAGA Kentucky PAC -- which was created solely to oust Massie and funded by non-Kentuckian Jewish billionaires Miriam Adelson, Paul Singer and John Paulsen -- disclosed more than $1.6 million since May 7.
As large as those sums sound, they're just a fresh coating atop a mountain of money: The race has now seen more than $20 million dollars in "outside spending" -- that is, money spent by PACs and other entities that are not part of the candidates' campaigns or political parties. Not coincidentally, the next two most-expensive-ever primary races also featured quests by pro-Israel PACs and individuals to oust incumbents who failed to heed the Israel lobby's voting directives. In 2024, AIPAC alone spent $14.5 million and $9 million, respectively, to successfully dislodge New York Democrat Jamaal Bowman and Missouri Democrat Cori Bush.
On Tuesday -- exactly one week before the primary -- Massie was hit by oddly-vague allegations of wrongdoing by an ex-girlfriend, Cynthia West, who said Massie paid her $5,000 in "hush money" after the two had dated following Massie becoming a widower in 2024. Massie denies the characterization of the money, saying he gave it to her to help her move to Washington, and that she even repaid some of the money. What's more, he said she's never been under any restriction from him about speaking about anything. Among others, the sensationalist, pro-Israel attack-dog Laura Loomer has been running wild with the non-story on X, with characteristic long posts heavy on innuendo and light on details or evidence. (For a deep dive, check out Robby Soave's thorough dissection of the fuzzy allegations at Reason.)
There's more where that came from. Earlier this month, the Adelson-Singer-Paulsen-funded MAGA KY PAC rolled out an anti-Massie ad that used AI video showing him cavorting on the town with Democratic Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Ilhan Omar. The ad starts by displaying "Thomas Massie caught in a throuple!" on the screen. It concludes by showing the three holding hands and checking into a hotel room together:
While the video has a brief, smaller-print disclosure calling it a "satirical ad created with artificial intelligence," some people, including Massie, say that notification may go overlooked, particularly by those in the older crowd where Gallrein draws the most support. "Older voters who don't know that AI exists [are] going to look at that and think that's actually me going on a date with AOC and Ilhan Omar and checking into a hotel together. It's so ridiculous,” said Massie at a "debate" that, along with all the other debates, Gallrein refused to participate in. Gallrein has skipped eight debate opportunities, which is an extraordinary choice for someone challenging an incumbent who's spent most of the race leading the polls, albeit by decreasing margins.
In one of the most eyebrow-raising ads on Massie's behalf, Restore Freedom PAC recently launched this one that attacks Gallrein over this sponsorship by billionaire Paul Singer, who has donated to LGBT causes, imploring voters to "say 'no' to Woke Eddie Gallrein and his billionaire club of LGBT weirdos."
In a Big Data poll published Friday, Massie was up by just 1.2%, leading Gallrein 50.6% to 49.4%. Like other polls, Big Data's showed enormous differences across age groups. At the extremes, 82% of voters under age 30 support Massie, while 61% of voters over age 64 support Gallrein.
After long having Massie out in front by often-large percentages, prediction markets have shifted mightily in Gallrein's direction in the closing weeks of the primary, to an extent that some have accused anti-Massie individuals of manipulating the markets to create headlines and optimism for Gallrein. As of Saturday night, Polymarket participants gave Gallrein a 53% chance of winning, while Kalshi's gave him a 54% chance. Massie's odds, meanwhile, have been... well...
Yes 48% · No 53%
View full market & trade on Polymarket
With early voting having ended Saturday and the election happening Tuesday, various political figures have been flying into Kentucky to boost Massie or Gallrein. In an unusual move, the sitting Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, will campaign with Gallrein on Monday. Over the weekend, former Congressman Matt Gaetz and current Colorado Rep. Lauren Boebert made appearances with Massie.
The latter appearance triggered Trump's wrath, which was manifested in the latest of his dozens and dozens of Truth Social posts excoriating Massie and his supporters. Much as he did with MAGA-centric Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Green (MTG), Trump is now excommunicating long-time supporter Boebert from the movement, and seeking a primary challenger for her (though he may not have realized it's too late for this cycle.) On Saturday night, Trump let loose on the "weak-minded" and "dumb" Boebert:
It should be noted that, while Boebert has almost uniformly backed Trump's agenda, she was one of a small handful of Republicans -- including MTG, who defied Trump and joined Massie in demanding the release of the Epstein files. Trump's vilification of Boebert was one of three Massie-centric rants Trump posted on Saturday. In them, he called Massie a "major sleazebag," a "loser," an "insult to our nation," and an "disloyal, ungracious and sanctimonious FOOL."
Massie gets high marks from right-wing evaluators of his voting record, but has refused to support several Trump undertakings. In Trump's first term, Massie tried to thwart the $2 trillion Covid-19 "relief" package. Last May, Massie was one of only two Republicans to vote against the "Big Beautiful Bill." The last straw was Massie's condemnation of Trump's June 2025 decision to join Israel in waging war on Iran, and Massie's introduction of a war powers resolution to prohibit further military action without congressional consent. Within days, the PAC funded by three pro-Israel billionaires was launched.
Massie has repeatedly put a spotlight on the fact that Gallrein's campaign is being turbocharged by pro-Israel forces. In a "debate" on public TV that Gallrein opted out of, Massie told the audience:
“This is another reason I’m in trouble with the swamp, why they want me gone. 95% of my opponent’s donations come from the Israeli lobby. This comes from Miriam Adelson, Paul Singer, John Paulson, AIPAC. They put millions of dollars into this race for one simple reason: I’ve never voted for foreign aid, not to Ukraine, not to Egypt and not to Israel."
The Massie campaign has countered the Israel lobby's enormous monetary onslaught to some extent via small-dollar donations from thousands of supporters from across the country, achieving particular success with three "moneybomb" campaigns. The "Finish the Fight Moneybomb" raked in more than $2.4 million, and a "Final Countdown Moneybomb" that started on Saturday had $31,000 in the early-Sunday hours.
Tuesday will also bring primary elections in Alabama, Georgia, Idaho, Oregon and Pennsylvania. However, on both sides of the aisle, all across the country -- and in Israel -- none will be more closely-watched than the Kentucky 4th Congressional District race in which Trump and his pro-Israel allies have gone all-in to remove Massie.
Sunday, May 17, 2026
Saturday, May 16, 2026
Friday, May 15, 2026
Thursday, May 14, 2026
Trump’s Approval Tanking; He Says He Doesn’t “Think About Americans’ Financial Situation” When Negotiating With Iran

President Donald Trump said yesterday that the only issue that matters to him when negotiating is preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, and that how Americans are doing financially is not a consideration.
Trump uttered the remark before he departed on his trip to China.
But Trump’s insistence on peddling a narrative that U.S. intelligence agencies have said is false has landed him in hot water with Americans. His job approval ratings have tanked, and those marks are consistent with the opposition of Americans to the war against Iran.

War Polling
As for the war, the polling data are and have been consistent. Americans who answered pollsters aren’t interested in a war against Iran on Israel’s behalf, and they apparently don’t much care whether Iran has or obtains a nuclear weapon.
All 18 U.S. intelligence agencies had concluded that Iran was not building a nuclear weapon before Trump listened to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s bogus claims and launched the war.
That aside, the RealClearPolitics average of polls is clear: Americans didn’t and don’t want war with Iran. Just 40 percent of those polled support it, while 54.7 percent oppose it.

Just nine polls among dozens since February 28, the day the U.S. and Israel began bombing Iran, show support for the war.
An Economist/YouGov poll that ended on May 11 showed that those surveyed oppose the war by a margin of 22 points, 56-34. A Reuters/Ipsos survey that ended the same day showed a 26-point margin: 61 percent opposed the war, 35 percent supported it.
Just two of the last 30 polls showed support for the war, and only by 4 points and 1 point.
Message: Stop bombing Iran and bring the troops home.

The polling data on Trump’s job performance is similar. Just 40.2 percent of those polled approve of what Trump is doing, and 56.5 percent disapprove.
In some cases, the polls show margins higher than 20 points. A Pew Research poll in late April showed that those surveyed disapproved of Trump by a 64-34 margin, a whopping 30 points.
Just one poll since March favored Trump … and by just 2 points.
American Finances Not His Concern
As the war drives gas prices to the heavens — nationwide average today, $4.511 — Trump insinuated before his China junket that he doesn’t much care. The important thing, he said, is Iran’s nuclear weapons, such as they are, in keeping with Netanyahu’s narrative.
On the White House lawn about to board Marine One for his flight to Air Force One, Trump was crystal clear when a reporter asked how much Americans’ financial situation is motivating him to make a deal with Iran.
“Not even a little bit,” Trump replied:
The only thing that matters when I’m talking about Iran — they can’t have a nuclear weapon. I don’t think about Americans’ financial situation. I don’t think about anybody. I think about one thing — we cannot let Iran have a nuclear weapon. That’s all.
Another reporter asked whether what he said is true, that he really isn’t worried about how the war is affecting Americans.
Replied Trump:
The most important thing by far — including whether our stock market, which, by the way, is at an all-time high — but including whether or not our stock market goes up or down a little bit, the most important thing by far is Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon. Every American understands.

Vance, Johnson Reply
“I don’t think the president said that,” replied Vice President J.D. Vance when a reporter asked about Trump’s remark:
I think that’s a misrepresentation of what the president said. But, look, I agree with the president that Iran should not have a nuclear weapon.
Also asked about the president’s remarks, Israel-first GOP House Speaker Mike Johnson (La.) said, “I don’t know the context in which he made that comment.”
Johnson said he speaks to Trump multiple times a day and that he does care about Americans’ financial situation. But Trump is “laser-focused” on resolving the war because, “if we get the Strait of Hormuz win, we get the Strait of Hormuz reopened, and that will alleviate a lot of pressure with gas prices and other things in the economy.”
The Strait of Hormuz was open before the U.S.-Israel attack.
X journalist Mario Nawfal thinks Trump was negotiating with Iran when he uttered the imprudent remark, and that Democrats will run with it come Election Day.
“On the surface, this is the worst soundbite of his presidency,” Nawfal wrote:
Democrats are already clipping this for every ad between now and 2028.
But step back and think about who else is listening.
Iran’s negotiators are watching every word.
If Trump admits the economic pain is driving him toward a deal, Tehran’s next counteroffer gets worse overnight.
Why concede anything when the American president just told you his own economy is forcing his hand?
Saying “I don’t think about it” is negotiation, not indifference.

Trump is informing Iran that “economic fallout” won’t make him accept an insufficient offer from Iran, the popular X journalist wrote. Problem is, he continued, while the soundbite might worry Iranian leaders, it wrecks Trump among Americans.
“You can’t tell 330 million Americans you don’t think about their wallets and expect them to hear the subtext,” he wrote:
The average voter [doesn’t] parse negotiating strategy.
They just hear a president who doesn’t care.
And that clip will follow him to every gas station in every swing state from now until Election Day.
Wednesday, May 13, 2026
Tuesday, May 12, 2026
Monday, May 11, 2026
Men keep getting burned in relationships-- but the reason isn't new. Schopenhauer called it in 1851
King Soloman, in Ecclesiastes 7:28, said that he might find one in a thousand good men, but not one in a million good women. They are very rare, and always have been. Through out the Bible, it says good women are more rare than rubies. Believe it, or get suckered.


