Despite losing his Republican primary Tuesday night, Representative Thomas Massie delivered a fiery concession speech that immediately grabbed attention for its sharp attacks, defiant tone, and unmistakable swipe at both Donald Trump and pro-Israel political groups that backed his opponent.
The Kentucky congressman walked onto the stage to chants of “Massie! Massie!” from supporters who remained loudly behind him even after the race had been called.
Massie opened with a cutting joke aimed directly at his Trump-endorsed challenger, Ed Gallrein, while referencing the heavy involvement of AIPAC and other outside groups in the race.
“I would’ve come out sooner, but I had to call my opponent and concede, and it took a while to find Ed Gallrein in Tel Aviv,” Massie quipped to cheers from the crowd.
“I did get the call through though,” he continued. “I have called and conceded the race. We’ve been honorable the whole time, and we’re gonna stay that way.”
Massie: I would have come out sooner but I had to call my opponent to concede and it took a while to find him in Tel Aviv pic.twitter.com/DmTkDfS17a
— Acyn (@Acyn) May 20, 2026
Massie became one of Trump’s top Republican targets over the past year after repeatedly breaking with the president on several high-profile issues, including aid to Israel, the escalating conflict with Iran, and the release of the Jeffrey Epstein files.
Trump spent months attacking Massie publicly, endorsing Gallrein and aggressively campaigning against the Kentucky congressman in what became one of the most closely watched Republican primaries of the cycle.
But even in defeat, Massie showed little sign of backing down.
During the speech, he pointedly referenced his ongoing efforts related to the Epstein files and suggested he still intends to use the remainder of his term to continue pushing investigations and disclosures that have rattled powerful figures internationally.
Massie: Today is the six-month anniversary of the Epstein Transparency Act. We’ve taken out two dozen CEOs, an ambassador, a prince, a prime minister, a minister of culture—that was just six months. I’ve got seven months left in Congress. pic.twitter.com/sm1nAOBVO6
— Acyn (@Acyn) May 20, 2026
“By the way, today is the six-month anniversary of the Epstein Files Transparency Act,” Massie told the crowd.
“We’ve taken out two dozen CEOs, an ambassador, a prince, a prime minister, a minister of culture, and that was just six months.”
“I’ve got seven months left in Congress,” he added as supporters erupted into chants of his name once again.
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