'Traitor': Trump's nemesis reveals MAGA insider briefly dumped president after 2016 win

President Donald Trump's nemesis Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) this week dropped a scathing advertisement calling out his opponent Ed Gallrein, who was endorsed by the president, accusing him of having wavering loyalty to Trump.

The vocal Trump critic released the attack ad on Thursday ahead of Kentucky's primary election on May 19, The Bulwark reported. Massie has remained "Congress’s biggest remaining Republican thorn in the president’s side" and worked to release the Epstein Files under the Epstein Files Transparency Act.

"Even as Trump has tried to punish him for his insubordination by standing up a MAGA primary challenger in his district, Massie has seemed unfazed, constantly tweaking the president online with what looks like merry bravado," according to The Bulwark.

The fight to retain his House seat comes as Trump tries to oust Massie, the Kentucky libertarian, by backing Gallrein, who Massie has pointed out might not be as pro-MAGA as he has said. In fact, Massie used the same tactics that his opponent has used against him.

"Yesterday, Massie released an ad hitting his opponent, Ed Gallrein, on exactly the same grounds Gallrein is hitting him—that he’s insufficiently loyal to president Trump," The Bulwark reported. "The ad, which begins with a photo of Massie and Trump smiling side-by-side, accuses Gallrein of switching his party registration to 'independent' after Trump won in 2016, and only switching it back after Joe Biden took office in 2021. 'Woke Eddie Gallrein,' the ad finishes. 'Not just a Trump hater, a Trump traitor.'"

"Obviously, one ad isn’t going to undo Trump’s endorsement and Gallrein’s relentless campaigning on that endorsement, but Massie seems to be hoping he can muddy the waters."