Massie Digs In Ahead Of Primary as Trump Backs His Opponent
Massie Digs In Ahead Of Primary as Trump Backs His Opponent
The Boone County Republican Party has voted 50-28 to uphold a rule requiring neutrality in contested primaries. The move has gone viral on social media as Kentucky Republican Rep. Thomas Massie is facing a contested primary election on May 19th.
President Donald Trump is backing former Navy SEAL Ed Gallrein in the Republican primary in Kentucky’s 4th District — a revenge mission after Massie pushed to release the Jeffrey Epstein files and opposed the president on other key votes.
“Massie is a complete and total disaster as a congressman and, frankly, as a human being,” Trump said last month at an event in the district where Gallrein joined him onstage.
In areas like Grant County, where the president won with more than 80% of the vote in the 2024 election, Massie hopes to make Trump less of an afterthought as he battles for his political survival.
His longtime supporters must have faith in this endeavor. Massie, who was first elected in 2012, was able to present his case for why he still deserves it at last week’s GOP dinner, where guests gathered inside a special events barn and chose from a buffet of beef and potatoes, green beans, and salad.
“I read the bills. I try to make the decision based on what is best. I try to do the things that I campaigned on,” Massie told them. “And sometimes it means voting no.”
Massie then took a swipe at Gallrein, who had been invited and expected to speak at the dinner but canceled at the last minute. A spokesperson said he had two funerals to attend.
“The problem with Washington, D.C., is that you got people that stand at podiums like this and make you all kinds of promises, and then they go up there and go along to get along, and they forget about all the promises,” Massie said. “I’m running against a guy whose main thing is he will promise you he will go along to get along. I don’t think we need a rubber stamp.”
In response to questions for this article, Gallrein spokesperson Alexandra Wilkes issued a statement that read: “Captain Gallrein is honored that President Trump has been so supportive of his campaign to defeat every liberal’s favorite Republican, Thomas Massie.”
Massie is well-known for his libertarian and fiscally conservative views, which include opposition to wars of choice like the one Trump has entered in Iran and worries about the federal deficit.
Massie stated in an interview following the dinner that he has seen many voters who value their congressman as a “fighter” but still support the president.
“There’s a portion of the electorate who doesn’t believe that Congress should be independent,” Massie told NBC News. “They believe that, when the Republicans control the White House and the Congress, that Congress should just do whatever the president wants. But that’s not how our government’s set up.”
Independent and public polling of the primary has been scarce, but Massie said the surveys he has seen show him leading.
“It’s an interesting quandary, because the district has very much been pro-Trump,” said Shauna Reilly, a political science professor at Northern Kentucky University. “But they also have re-elected Massie numerous times, and so he seems to be well-liked in the district, and I suspect that he will probably be successful in this.”
“Massie is his own dude,” Reilly added, “and he’s running his own campaign, and I think like or lump it, that’s sort of how he’s going to approach this.”
According to AdImpact, an ad tracking company, more than $12.4 million has been spent on advertisements in the race through Monday, with $6.8 million coming from Gallrein or outside spending groups that are running commercials to support him or criticize Massie.
While the Trump-affiliated group MAGA KY has concentrated on immigration and border security provisions in Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill, which Massie voted against, the Republican Jewish Coalition Victory PAC attacked Massie for opposing the Iran war
Lisa Kennedy recently married Fred in Hawaii: Who is the Fox News star’s new husband?
Lisa Kennedy recently married Fred in Hawaii: Who is the Fox News star’s new husband?
Fox News personality Lisa “Kennedy” Montgomery has entered a new chapter in her personal life after marrying Fred in a beautiful outdoor ceremony in Hawaii.
Kennedy shared photographs from the celebration at the Four Seasons Resort Lanai, giving followers a glimpse of the man she now calls her husband and the friends who joined them for the occasion.
“Married the love of my life at the Four Seasons Lanai in a Heidi Merrick dress drenched in sunshine and aloha,” Kennedy wrote. “I love you forever, Fred!!”
While Kennedy has been open about how much Fred means to her, she has kept many details about her new husband firmly outside the public spotlight.
Kennedy and Fred celebrate their marriage in Hawaii
The couple exchanged vows during an outdoor ceremony overlooking the Pacific Ocean.
Kennedy wore a sparkling white Heidi Merrick gown with a fitted silhouette, completing her bridal look with a veil and colorful tropical bouquet. Fred wore a light-blue suit with a white shirt, light-colored tie and brown shoes. The newlyweds also wore traditional Hawaiian leis.
Photographs showed Kennedy and Fred walking hand in hand as guests applauded, with the bride raising her bouquet in celebration. Another captured them cutting their multi-tiered wedding cake against a backdrop of palm trees, ocean views and the evening sky.
The wedding announcement became a major moment among Kennedy’s followers, receiving more than 154,000 likes and nearly 2,000 comments.
Several familiar Fox News personalities were also part of the celebration. Emily Compagno, Abby Hornacek and Alexis McAdams were among the recognizable guests photographed in Hawaii.
Emily later wrote that they had the “best time celebrating Kennedy and Fred’s marriage,” adding, “The Fox family showed up for our favorite girl.”
Who is Kennedy’s husband, Fred?
Despite the attention surrounding their wedding, Fred remains largely a private figure.
Based on what Kennedy has publicly shared, his surname, profession and detailed background have not been revealed. Even when announcing her marriage, Kennedy continued referring to her husband simply as Fred.
What she has shared, however, offers some insight into how unexpectedly their relationship entered her life.
Lisa Kennedy and her new husband Fred / Youtube
Kennedy discussed Fred publicly when announcing their engagement on The Five in December 2025. She revealed that he had proposed on December 10 and said the two had met recently and “unexpectedly.”
During the emotional on-air conversation, Kennedy described the impact their meeting had on her life.
“He is the most beautiful, wonderful human being,” she said. “And I had totally given up until those elevator doors opened and I met him out of the blue — he changed my life.”
Kennedy has not provided additional details about exactly where that first meeting occurred or the circumstances surrounding it.
Their relationship began before the public announcement
Although viewers did not learn about the engagement until December 2025, Kennedy revealed another detail suggesting Fred had quietly been part of her life for some time.
She told her The Five colleagues that she had secretly brought him to the Fox Christmas party the previous year.
“I snuck him in. Don’t tell security,” Kennedy joked during the conversation.
That revelation indicated the couple had already been seeing each other by at least December 2024, even though Kennedy had kept the relationship away from public attention.
Dana Perino was among those particularly moved by the engagement news.
Perino recalled learning about it while Kennedy was appearing on America’s Newsroom, telling her colleague that the announcement had made her cry.
“And Fred is such a wonderful guy,” Perino said before telling Kennedy, “I cried because I’m so happy for you.”
From a private romance to a Hawaiian wedding
Kennedy continued keeping Fred’s personal details private even as she became more open about their relationship.
That approach remained evident at their wedding. While she shared numerous photographs of their special day and publicly expressed her love for her new husband, she did not use the occasion to reveal his surname, career or other biographical information.
Instead, Kennedy kept the attention on their marriage and the happiness surrounding it.
The couple received congratulations from numerous familiar names, including Kat Timpf, Janice Dean, Sandra Smith, Griff Jenkins, Abby Hornacek and Meghan McCain.
For followers who had watched Kennedy announce her engagement months earlier, the Hawaiian ceremony provided the next chapter in a relationship that had largely developed outside the public eye.
What is publicly known about Fred remains limited, but Kennedy has made one thing unmistakably clear: she considers him the man who unexpectedly entered her life, changed it and ultimately became her husband.
From secretly attending a Fox Christmas party together to an emotional engagement announcement and finally exchanging vows beside the Pacific Ocean, Kennedy and Fred have now made their commitment official — while continuing to keep much of their story between themselves.
