After winning the 2024 Republican primary for Kentucky’s 4th Congressional District, Rep. Thomas Massie cleaned up in the general election, securing 99.6% of the vote. Yet his political career still may not survive 2026.

The MIT-trained engineer proceeded to force the issue of the Jeffrey Epstein files’ release, speak out against the joint U.S.-Israeli entanglement in Iran, and pad his 86.79% lifetime Turning Point Action score. He also managed to once again draw the ire of President Donald Trump, who faulted Massie for being “an automatic ‘NO’ vote on just about everything.”

Months after vowing in March 2025 to “lead the charge” against Massie, Trump officially named his champion: Navy SEAL veteran Ed Gallrein.

The final polls conducted before the primary election indicate the race is virtually deadlocked.

Gallrein — who not only enjoys the president’s backing but the support of numerous powerful individuals and organizations, including War Secretary Pete Hegseth, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce — is now poised to possibly oust Massie from the congressional seat he has held since 2012.

As he is running on a platform textually similar to Massie’s, Gallrein has endeavored to distinguish himself from his competitor online and in rallies — but not in a debate — largely in terms of his relationship with Trump.

RELATED: Massie takes aim at AIPAC with new bill about Nazi-era law

Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc/Getty Images

Gallrein has called Massie both a “turncoat” and a “roadblock to the America First agenda,” noting, for instance, that Massie:

Opposed the U.S. entanglement with Iran; Voted against a stopgap spending bill to keep the government funded; Voted against a resolution the congressman said would unhelpfully equate “anti-Zionism with anti-Semitism”; and Voted against the One Big Beautiful Bill Act — which the congressman said would “significantly increase U.S. budget deficits in the near term, negatively impacting all Americans through sustained inflation and high interest rates.”

Gallrein has shared a graphic stating that Massie also voted against the SAVE America Act, even though the congressman voted against a particular rule then ultimately voted to pass the legislation.

Unlike Massie, who has apparently failed to toe the line and has been characterized in attack ads as “cheating with ‘the Squad’ on the America First movement,” Gallrein has emphasized he will alternatively “stand with President Trump and put American first.”

Vice President JD Vance has likewise said that Massie ultimately is not helpful for the Republican Party.

“Being independent, having your own opinions is one thing,” Vance said at a TPUSA event six months ago. “Voting against the party on every single issue, you’re eventually going to make too many enemies. And that is the problem that Thomas has had. It’s not one issue. It’s not three or four issues. It’s that every time that we’ve needed Thomas for a vote, he has been completely unwilling to provide it.”

The final polls conducted before the primary election indicate the race is virtually deadlocked.

A Neighborhood Research poll published on Friday found that the candidates were tied but that Gallrein “seems to be surging as the election comes to a close.”

The poll found that Massie enjoyed a dominant 47-30 advantage among voters under 50, whereas Gallrein was leading 46-17 among women ages 50 and older. Men in the older cohort were split evenly between the two candidates.

The Public Polling Project also released a poll on Friday, this time finding that Massie led Gallrein among all likely voters 50.6% to 49.4%.

According to AdImpact, the battle between Gallrein and Massie for Kentucky’s 4th Congressional District is the most expensive House primary on record, with $32.6 million spent on advertising.

The Republican Jewish Coalition has reportedly spent $4 million on ads supporting Gallrein. The AIPAC super PAC United Democracy Project has spent another $2.6 million helping Trump’s champion.

In light of injections of cash into the primary battle by these and other pro-Israel groups, Massie has framed the race as a referendum on whether “Israel gets to buy seats in Congress.”

Massie and pro-Massie groups Kentucky 4th PAC and Kentucky First PAC have also dumped a fortune into ads, including an ad accusing Gallrein of being “bought and paid for by the LGBTQ mafia.”

A victory of Gallrein over Massie would be another scalp for Trump, who just in the past few weeks has seen crushing primary defeats for the Indiana state senators who defied him on redistricting and for Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, who voted to convict Trump on impeachment articles related to January 6.

Trump noted in a Truth Social post on Monday, “The Great People of Kentucky are wise to Massie — He only votes against the Republican Party, making life very easy for the Radical Left. Unlike ‘lightweight’ Massie, a totally ineffective LOSER who has failed us so badly, CAPTAIN ED GALLREIN IS A WINNER WHO WILL NOT LET YOU DOWN.”

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​America first agenda, Donald trump, Jeffrey epstein files, Pete hegseth, Republican primary, Thomas massie, Israel, Aipac, Kentucky, Congress, Congressional, Politics, Ed gallrein 

As Britain cracks down on free speech and heightens surveillance measures, it’s becoming a cautionary tale for the rest of the Western world — one that Tommy Robinson has experienced firsthand.

“They wanted us isolated, they wanted us alone, wanted total control, which they had. Total control. I was invisible,” Robinson tells Blaze Media co-founder Glenn Beck, explaining that the media in the U.K. has branded him as one of the “far-right, racist, extremist agitators who are intent on violence.”

“You couldn’t even mention my name … deleted from society for daring to show — and what was I showing? The problems of mass open-border immigration,” Robinson says.

“Why do they want to hide it?” he asks. “Because it lays at their feet.”

And U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s latest ad is only proving Robinson right.

“This is our country with a majority who share those values. A majority who may not always be as loud but must always define who we are. So my government will not stand in the way of peaceful protest,” Starmer said, adding, “But we will act decisively against hatred.”

“We will use the full force of the law when that hatred manifests as violence. And we will ban those coming into the U.K. who seek to stir it up as we have done already because this country belong to all of us, and I will not tolerate anyone who seeks to stand in the way of that,” Starmer finished.

Robinson notes that Starmer has already made his last few points in the video crystal clear.

“After the 2024 riots … he politicized the judiciary, weaponized the media, and he sent mothers to jail for 31 months for tweets. He sent Peter Lynch, a grandfather, to jail, who has died in jail. He sent innocent people to jail,” he explained, noting that Starmer did it to “instill fear in the British public.”

“The problem he’s got is he didn’t instill fear. It lit a fire in the heart of us. … This is a battle for the soul of this nation, and it’s a battle he’s going to lose. He’s losing,” he continues, adding, “They’re losing. We’re winning the hearts and minds of the public whether he likes it or not.”

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​Ban, Britain, Country, Extremist, Far right, Free speech, Hatred, Immigration, Judiciary, Keir starmer, Law, Media, Protest, Racist, Surveillance, The glenn beck program, Tommy robinson, Uk, Violence, Western world 

A major media company wants to expand while making a clearer commitment to free speech. You would think that would cheer any American who still believes in the First Amendment.

Instead, Democrats are furious.

That authoritarian impulse, not Ellison’s support for Trump, is the real free-speech crisis in America.

In April, Paramount CEO David Ellison hosted a dinner celebrating the First Amendment. That was no coincidence. Paramount, and Ellison in particular, have long signaled support for free expression. Yet Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) responded by branding Ellison an “oligarch” and vowing to break up “anti-consumer” media companies “into pieces.”

Apparently, supporting free speech while maintaining ties across the political divide now qualifies as anti-consumer.

The real source of Democratic outrage is not some abstract concern for consumers. It is Paramount’s planned acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery. That deal could create a stronger competitor to Netflix and other streaming giants while opening more space for content that does not conform to left-wing orthodoxy.

That possibility has set off alarms on the left.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), fresh off the permanent closure of Spirit Airlines after helping sink its proposed merger with JetBlue, posted on X last week that “we need to block this merger and break up monopolies everywhere.” Reps. Sam Liccardo (D-Calif.) and Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.) both members of the House Financial Services Committee, tried to pressure Paramount out of the deal. California Attorney General Rob Bonta said his office would launch a “vigorous” investigation into Paramount and WBD.

None of this should surprise anyone. Democrats routinely use regulatory power to punish people and companies that support free speech.

The Biden administration pressured Facebook and what was then Twitter to suppress content that challenged Democratic talking points. Censored subjects included election integrity and the origins of COVID-19.

Elon Musk bought Twitter, renamed it X, and made it more open to speech the left dislikes. Democrats came after him too, including efforts to strip him of federal contracts. Meanwhile, criminals set Tesla vehicles on fire and torched dealerships in several states. This is the same Tesla that, as the Associated Press noted, “was once the darling of the left.”

The pattern extends well beyond social media and corporate regulation.

Former Secretary of State John Kerry complained that the First Amendment is “a major block” to stamping out so-called disinformation.

RELATED: The trial lawyers come for online free speech

BigNazik/iStock/Getty Images

On college campuses, the divide is even clearer. A 2017 Cato Institute study found major differences between Democrats and Republicans on allowing controversial or offensive speakers to appear on campus. Even on issues where Republicans might be expected to take greater offense, Cato found that Democrats were still more likely to support canceling the speaker.

That result fits the broader Democratic instinct. Free speech is welcome only when it serves the approved narrative. Once it threatens left-wing control over public discourse, it becomes dangerous, irresponsible, or anti-consumer.

That is what this fight over Paramount and WBD is really about.

If the merger succeeds, Paramount Skydance could become a more serious rival to the dominant streaming platforms. That competition could improve content and lower prices. But none of that matters to Democrats if Ellison is politically aligned with Trump and if the merged company might distribute material that leans right.

The left does not fear monopoly in principle. It fears losing its monopoly on the narrative.

Democrats have been losing ground at the ballot box and in the arena of ideas for years. Rather than examine why, they blame “disinformation” and target companies that refuse to toe the line.

That authoritarian impulse, not Ellison’s support for Trump, is the real free-speech crisis in America.

​Ballot box, Biden administration, Chris murphy, College campuses, Disinformation, Elizabeth warren, Elon musk, First amendment, John kerry, Opinion & analysis, Paramount skydance, Social media, Tim huelskamp, Warner bros discovery 

The Democratic members of the city council in Portland, Maine, lamented with the mayor that their sanctuary city policies were powerless to actually stop federal agents.

Democratic Portland Mayor Mark Dion touted the city for its previous efforts to protect illegal immigrants before admitting that they were limited legally from stopping Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations completely.

‘They don’t have any sense of what they’re supposed to do; they just go out and do things impulsively and destructively.’

Video of the meeting from May 4 resurfaced on social media and went viral.

Dion opposed a new proposal that would put the obligation of opposing ICE on city employees, but he said his opposition had nothing to do with partisan politics.

“Where I do have a fundamental disagreement is the nature of our employees,” the mayor said. “My sense of it [is] if they want to come, they’re coming.”

He went on to call the new policy “magical” thinking that would stop ICE.

“There’s a supposition that if we have this as an ordinance, that somehow ICE is gonna move on. That’s silly,” the mayor said.

“In my mind, that’s an interesting magical thought. My conclusion is they don’t have any sense of what they’re supposed to do; they just go out and do things impulsively and destructively,” he added. “The existence of this particular couple of sentences is not gonna change their equation. I’m confident of that.”

Dion was pressured by City Councilman Pious Ali, the Democratic author of the motion, that they had not done enough to protect staff as well as immigrants from ICE.

“If we don’t have a very strong protection for our staff and our community, nobody can predict what they can do,” Ali said.

The mayor disagreed.

“If that’s the case, if in your heart you understand that ICE is gonna do what ICE is gonna do, then why do we have to have our staff controlled under the guise of an order and an ordinance, other than for political purposes?” Dion continued. “As a pragmatic purpose, it’s not gonna deter ICE.”

Despite the mayor’s exhortations, the order passed 7-1.

“There you go,” the mayor said.

RELATED: Man served time for threatening to kill Trump — then gets arrested for more alleged threats against Trump

While Portland City Council members don’t have to designate their political affiliation, none are registered Republicans. All council members that have a political affiliation are either Democrats or democratic socialists.

Portland officials previously expressed their outrage at ICE operations in the city, and Councilman Wes Pelletier went so far as to call it a “war of terror” on immigrants. Pelletier is a member and leader of the Democratic Socialists of America.

The full video of the city council meeting from May 4 can be viewed on the Portland city website.

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​Portland maine city council, Portland mayor mark dion, Democrats vs ice, Sanctuary city policies, Politics 

The remains of a 23-year-old Alabama woman who had been missing for more than a week were found Saturday, and a male was charged with abuse of a corpse in connection with her death, AL.com reported.

Karen Deann Hollis vanished May 8 from Northport, the outlet reported, adding that Hollis was last seen around midnight in the area of 43rd Avenue in Northport.

‘Multiple search warrants were executed, and a great deal of physical, witness, and electronic information was obtained.’

Northport police said Hollis at the time of her disappearance was believed to have been living with a condition that could impair her judgment, AL.com added.

The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency issued a missing person alert in connection with her disappearance, the outlet said.

Tuscaloosa Violent Crimes Unit Capt. Jack Kennedy said the initial investigation led detectives to believe that foul play may have been involved, AL.com reported, adding that the violent crimes unit and Northport police have been working together on the case.

A person of interest was developed last week, but the victim still had not been located, AL.com reported.

But family and friends located Hollis’ remains on Saturday while searching an area determined to be of interest based on information received from an electronic device, the outlet said.

Kennedy said Hollis’ remains were recovered in Greene County, AL.com reported, adding that the Greene County Sheriff’s Office, Greene County District Attorney’s Office, and Greene County coroner assisted in the recovery of the remains.

“The investigation has been a priority for both agencies,” Kennedy said, according to the outlet. “Multiple search warrants were executed, and a great deal of physical, witness, and electronic information was obtained.”

The male identified last week as the person of interest — 44-year-old Randall Lendell Dejourney — was taken into custody, the outlet said.

RELATED: Manhunt under way for man seen dragging a body away before woman was found stabbed to death, police say

Dejourney is charged with abuse of a corpse, AL.com reported, adding that he was booked into the Tuscaloosa County Jail with a bond set at $15,000. A jail official on Monday afternoon told Blaze News that Dejourney was still behind bars.

Kennedy said Hollis’ remains have been sent to the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences for an autopsy to determine the cause and manner of her death, AL.com reported.

The investigation is ongoing, and more charges could be brought following the autopsy results, the outlet added.

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​Alabama, Missing woman, Remains found, Abuse of corpse, Arrest, Crime 

Campaign ads may never look the same again after Spencer Pratt dropped yet another AI-generated video that looks more like a Hollywood sci-fi trailer than a traditional political ad — and BlazeTV hosts Pat Gray and Keith Malinak believe it could completely reshape how campaigns reach voters.

The viral video features Pratt soaring through a destroyed, burning Los Angeles on a futuristic vehicle straight out of “Star Wars,” while AI-generated versions of California politicians delivered sinister one-liners about the city’s decline.

“You didn’t finish burning the city to the ground in your first term. Make sure you finish the job in your second,” the AI version of California Governor Gavin Newsom (D) says with a grin.

The ad also features AI Mayor Karen Bass (D) saying, “The only thing that can stop us is someone telling the truth. As long as they don’t have any hope, the city’s ours.”

Bass then gets into a lightsaber duel with Pratt, before the citizens of Los Angeles all whip out their own lightsabers in defense of their city.

“If you don’t have a lot of money in your campaign, you just let AI take over,” Malinak says, while Pat Gray predicts the technology is about to revolutionize campaign strategy from here on out.

“I think we’re seeing a complete change in the political advertising world from now on. There’s going to be a lot of that kind of stuff, AI-generated things,” Gray says.

“I hope it works out for Spencer Pratt,” Malinak says.

“If they were ever going to get Republican leadership, it’s this cycle.”

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To enjoy more of Pat’s biting analysis and signature wit as he restores common sense to a senseless world, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.

​Aigenerated video, Blaze media, Blaze news, Blaze online, Blaze orginals, Blaze podcast network, Blaze podcasts, Blazetv, Blazetv hosts, Burning los angeles, California politicians, Campaign ads, Campaign strategy, Governor gavin newsom, Hollywood scifi, Keith malinak, Lightsaber duel, Mayor karen bass, Pat gray, Pat gray unleashed, Political ad, Political advertising, Republican leadership, Spencer pratt, Star wars, The blaze, Viral video 

A 64-year-old woman admitted to violating election laws by paying homeless people on Skid Row in Los Angeles to register to vote.

Brenda Lee Brown Armstrong worked as a paid petition signature gatherer for about two decades, according to a press release from the U.S.

‘Armstrong regularly paid and offered to pay individuals cash, usually in amounts between $2 and $3, to induce them to sign her petitions.’

Armstrong, who is known as “Anika,” has agreed to plead guilty to one felony count of paying another person to register to vote.

She said she was hired by “coordinators” to “collect voter signatures on official petitions that qualify initiatives, referendums, and recalls for California state ballots.”

Armstrong would drive around Los Angeles and seek signatures from registered voters and receive payment for each signature. To make the job easier, she began paying homeless people in the Skid Row area to sign.

“Armstrong regularly paid and offered to pay individuals cash, usually in amounts between $2 and $3, to induce them to sign her petitions,” prosecutors said.

Since the homeless people did not have a residence, Armstrong would have them register as voters under her previous address. Armstrong also paid them to register as voters.

“This case is important because it shows how it is under California law to corrupt the state’s voter rolls and thereby corrupt the state and federal elections administered by the state,” DOJ Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon said at a media briefing.

U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli indicated that prosecutors depended on independent journalism from James O’Keefe to identify Armstrong and catch her in the act.

“California’s lax attitude towards voter registration endangers our democracy. We won’t stand by when ballot box corruption threatens the foundations of our republic,” Essayli said.

RELATED: Noncitizen Kansas mayor accused of illegally voting ‘multiple times’ after winning re-election

Armstrong faces a statutory maximum penalty of five years in federal prison for the felony charge.

“False registrations undermine Americans’ faith in elections — even more so when payoffs are involved,” Dhillon said.

“This Justice Department is committed to ensuring that all U.S. elections are fair and free from illegal meddling,” she added, “so that all Americans can accept the results with confidence.”

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​California illegal voting, Homeless people voting registration, Skid row voting scam, Petition gatherer scam, Politics 

A massive crowd of British patriots gathered in London on Saturday to participate in Tommy Robinson’s Unite the Kingdom march. However, several international figures who had planned to attend and speak at the event, including some Americans, were absent after Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s government banned them from entering the country.

The Metropolitan Police, which deployed 4,000 officers and admitted it would use facial recognition technology on the crowd, estimated that 60,000 people attended Saturday’s UTK march. However, Robinson insisted attendance was in the “millions.”

‘It’s good to know that Britain can enforce its borders and stop people from coming to our country, after consecutive years where legal migration ran above a million.’

Hours ahead of the march, Starmer released a video statement condemning the UTK movement, accusing its organizers of “peddling hatred and division.” He announced that his government had blocked “far-right agitators” who planned to attend the march from entering the country.

Journalist Dan Wootton called Starmer’s video “a despicable and disgusting attack on British patriots.”

“He was wanting to stoke violence,” Wootton told Blaze News. “And hundreds of thousands of proud Englishmen and women proved him wrong. All this Labour government has left now is going after an invisible ‘far right.’”

A press release from the prime minister’s office stated that 11 foreigners were prevented from entering the country “to spew their extremist views.” The government’s press release did not name every individual denied entry, but it did state that it denied entry to “U.S.-based extremist” Valentina Gomez, citing her “inflammatory and dehumanising rhetoric about Muslim communities.”

Gomez blamed the ban on “corrupt politicians” and criticized Starmer for using facial recognition technology against those who attended the rally but not against “muslim rape gangs and violent palestine protests.” A pro-Palestine and anti-Robinson rally was held in London the same day as UTK.

American political commentator Don Keith was also banned from entering the U.K.

“I have no idea why I was banned from the UK other than my friendship with Tommy Robinson and opposition to Keir Starmer’s policies,” Keith wrote in a post on X.

Wootton told Blaze News that Keith was scheduled to co-host Wootton’s podcast, “Outspoken,” which was covering the march live.

“This is North Korean stuff,” Wootton continued, referring to Keith’s ban and adding that the media class seems to “think this is completely acceptable.”

“I am disgusted about what’s happening to our country when all we are trying to do is stop an Islamist takeover,” he added.

RELATED: Glenn Beck to risk lifetime ban from UK to speak at Tommy Robinson’s Unite the Kingdom rally

Richard Baker/In Pictures/Getty Images

Joey Mannarino, an American citizen and host on NewsForce, responded to Starmer’s video statement concerning the UTK rally and travel bans.

“I’m one of the people you banned. I went to school in the UK and love your country. I love the people of your country. The British ones. Not the ones your lot caters to,” Mannarino wrote. “You’re truly a disgrace to the beautiful nation which you ‘represent.’”

Others who were banned from entering the country ahead of the march included journalists Ezra Levant and Avi Yemini, politicians Dominik Tarczyński and Filip Dewinter, and political commentators Eva Vlaardingerbroek and Ada Lluch.

These individuals were notified that their presence “is not considered to be conducive to the public good.”

RELATED: ‘Frankly disgraceful’: British politicians implode after Trump official meets with Tommy Robinson

Carl Court/Getty Images

Connor Tomlinson, a London-based political commentator, told Blaze News, “It’s good to know that Britain can enforce its borders and stop people from coming to our country, after consecutive years where legal migration ran above a million. Unfortunately, Keir Starmer only wants to block foreigners warning against the replacement, rape, and murder of the British people from entering, rather than the perpetrators of such crimes.”

Tomlinson called Starmer “Britain’s most hated prime minister on record.”

“This rally seemed more sparsely attended, likely due to divisions in the nationalist base over whether Britain should be involved in the Iran war. But if it plays a role in expediting the destruction of the Labour Party, then it was worthwhile,” Tomlinson added.

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​News, Tommy robinson, Unite the kingdom, Keir starmer, United kingdom, Uk, U.k., London, Britain, Metropolitan police, Valentina gomez, Don keith, Joey mannarino, Ezra levant, Avi yemini, Dominik tarczyński, Filip dewinter, Eva vlaardingerbroek, Ada lluch, Connor tomlinson, Politics