Trump threatens primary challenger against Boebert after Massie endorsement

Donald Trump turned a Kentucky primary fight into a loyalty test for Lauren Boebert on Saturday, threatening to support a challenger against the Colorado congresswoman after she traveled to Kentucky to campaign for Thomas Massie.

Trump attacked Boebert on Truth Social, calling her “Weak Minded Lauren Boebert” and saying she was backing the “Worst ‘Republican’ Congressman in the History of our Country.” He also asked whether anyone wanted to run against her in Colorado’s 4th Congressional District and said he could withdraw his endorsement if the right challenger emerged.

The confrontation came as Massie prepared for Tuesday’s Republican primary in Kentucky’s 4th Congressional District, where he faces Trump-endorsed challenger Ed Gallrein, a retired Navy SEAL. Multiple reports have said a Quantus Insights poll showed Gallrein ahead of Massie before the vote. The race has become a test of how much room remains inside the Republican Party for an outspoken lawmaker willing to defy Trump on major legislation and on the Iran war.

Boebert responded on X that she was not mad or offended and that she knew the risks when she agreed to stand by Massie. She added that she was, and would remain, “America First, America Always, and MAGA.” Her decision to appear with Massie drew backlash from MAGA activists after she posted that she supported both Trump and Massie, a pairing that many in the president’s orbit treated as a breach of discipline.

Massie has long frustrated Trump allies, and his clash with the president now extends beyond policy fights to the politics of personal allegiance. He has also led the push to release government files related to Jeffrey Epstein. Boebert, Massie, Marjorie Taylor Greene and Nancy Mace signed the Epstein-files discharge petition, putting Boebert among four Republicans who broke ranks on the issue. Massie and Ro Khanna introduced the Epstein Files Transparency Act in 2025.

The episode underscored how Trump continues to use the threat of primary retaliation to enforce loyalty among Republicans, even against sitting lawmakers from his own political camp. It also signaled to other members of Congress that public independence can carry immediate political consequences, especially in races where Trump’s endorsement, fundraising network and backing still matter most. Massie later said Trump retaliated against Boebert by vetoing a Colorado water bill after her support for the Epstein-files push, adding another layer to an intraparty feud that now reaches from Kentucky to Colorado.