Mike breaks down the growing divide between establishment Republicans and the America First movement after Bill Cassidy’s collapse in Louisiana and the heated Kentucky showdown over Thomas Massie. He digs into why Trump-backed voters are rejecting Republicans seen as opposing the MAGA agenda, why the media keeps insisting the movement is “splintering,” and what Lindsey Graham’s blunt warning says about the future of the GOP.
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From the wild world of D.C. politics to America’s culture clash, brace yourself for the reality check you’ve been waiting for. The one and only Mike Gallagher.
SPEAKER 04 :
My goodness, what a weekend, huh? Bill Cassidy out in Louisiana. And as usual, the mainstream media doesn’t quite know what to make of Trump’s continual influence. Not a good idea to go up against President Trump. Not a good idea to go up against MAGA. Not a good idea. It just doesn’t make a lot of sense. Bill Cassidy didn’t even make it to the runoff. Wow. An incumbent, a veteran politician from Louisiana out. Is John Cornyn next? Is Tom Massey next? I don’t know what to make of what’s happening in Kentucky. Um, He’s in a real tough battle, and tomorrow’s the day when the voters of Kentucky will decide whether or not to return Thomas Massey to his spot in the U.S. House of Representatives. He’s a guy who has been opposing President Trump pretty consistently, although he acts like he’s not. He pretends that he’s not, and make no mistake, President Trump wants him gone. President Trump posted on Truth Social, get this loser out. He has endorsed Ed Gallerine, who is the Navy SEAL, the retired Navy SEAL, who’s challenging Congressman Massey. Trump has called Massey a grandstander. I mean, look, whatever you think of Thomas Massey, you can’t dispute that he has been voting against the Trump agenda for quite a while. And he knows it, too. He knows it as well, but it’s interesting. A lot of the campaign ads he’s taken out are suggesting that he’s actually on board with President Trump. You can’t. Act one way with your votes and then act another while campaigning. Here he was yesterday on ABC’s This Week explaining how he’s going to thread this needle, how he overcomes Trump’s opposition. And, you know, first of all, bear in mind, every one of these races where President Trump is endorsing Trump an opponent, the media is hyperventilating thinking, oh, this could be the one, a deep repudiation of the Trump era. He’s lost the juice. He doesn’t have his mojo. It’s all over now. And so far, they haven’t been able to say that because Trump’s record is stunningly successful in terms of who he endorses and who he’s not. Well, he’s definitely endorsing Trump’s – Massey’s opponent, Ed Gallery. He’s also mad at Lauren Boebert. What’s she up to? Now she’s off campaigning for Tom Massey. She better be careful. It’s just not a good idea to get on the bad side of the president because MAGA and America First – has not gone anywhere. It’s stronger than ever. Don’t let the media fool you. Don’t let them try to demoralize you. Because they’re wrong in saying that MAGA is splintered. There are disputes. There are disagreements. But when it comes to the ballot box… the America First MAGA movement is pretty unified. Here was Congressman Massey yesterday on ABC.
SPEAKER 02 :
Well, I have the endorsement of the Right to Life organizations, the gun organizations. I had four members of Congress come here yesterday and campaign with me. So my situation is a little bit different. Plus, I’ve had millions of dollars come in from the grassroots, tens of thousands of donors to my website, thomasmassey.com, and it’s still coming in, and that’s how we’re going to beat them.
SPEAKER 04 :
Well, we’ll see. We’re going to know tomorrow. Gallerine has a lot of momentum. And I just, I have no idea. I don’t want to even make a prediction. I can’t. First of all, I’m a little bit confused. And when I keep getting text messages that always light up whenever Massey comes up, showing a lot of support for the guy, but you call yourself a President Trump supporting America first American, right? You’re on board with the Trump agenda. So how can you be on board with Tom Massey? I mean, I’m a little baffled by that, and maybe you can explain it to me. Let’s turn things over to you on a Monday, May the 18th. Wow, the weeks, the months are flying by. We’re in the Relief Factor studios for a Monday. We’re glad you’re here. Our number is 800-655-MIKE. 800-655-6453. One number does it all. Call or text me. But tell me, explain the Tom Massey phenomenon in Kentucky. Maybe you want to predict what will happen tomorrow. Is Galrein going to win? Is he going to come from behind and beat the incumbent? Is Thomas Massey going to go down in political flames the way Louisiana’s Bill Cassidy did? Let’s get your take on it. And maybe the most important pressing question I have for you today How can you support Tom Massey when Massey clearly doesn’t support President Trump? I’m a little baffled by that. Maybe you can explain it to me. I hope you join us. 800-655-MIKE, 800-655-6453. Call or text. However you get here, get here, because I want to put your voice front and center here on a Monday episode of The Mike Gallagher Show.
SPEAKER 06 :
Mike Gallagher.
SPEAKER 04 :
Uh-oh, Mitt Romney’s not happy that Senator Bill Cassidy isn’t even going to make it to the runoffs as the Louisiana voters rejected his attempt to get Donald Trump convicted of an impeachment. What are we whatever are we going to do? Mitt Romney is not happy. I’ll share his statement with you in just a moment and also share with you what President Trump wrote about Bill Cassidy’s defeat. First of all, let me tell you about chapter. My gosh, people are I’m so excited to welcome chapter back to Team Gallagher. If you think your Medicare plan is just fine. You may want to hear this. One of my listeners, Dorothy, had lost her husband. Her income was suddenly and unexpectedly cut in half. At the same time, her insurance company hit her with a steep increase in premiums, and she was struggling to make ends meet. Look, Dorothy, like millions of Americans, lots of seniors are in Medicare plans that don’t fit. Not because Dorothy is careless, but Medicare is complicated. Most people never see all their options. She heard about me talk about Chapter on air. She called Chapter. They walked her through every Medicare plan option she had. After switching, she’s now saving over $2,200 a year. She said, it’s hard to believe nothing like this ever happens to me. She said, hallelujah for chapter. If you’re on Medicare, don’t assume you’re on the right plan. Look, I learned the hard way. I was getting notifications from the government saying that I owed a penalty for not selecting which Medicare plan I had before I even turned 65. It was obviously a glitch, but chapter fixed it for me. Make the call today, 25Medicare. It’s absolutely free. They’ll review all your options. It takes about 15, 20 minutes. Isn’t it worth it? Dorothy’s saving over $2,200 a year. It’s called Chapter. These are my personal Medicare advisors, and they can be your Medicare advisors as well. Just call 25Medicare to reach Chapter. Call 25Medicare or you can go to AskChapter.org slash Mike. AskChapter.org slash Mike or call 25Medicare. Mitt Romney sent out a statement after Bill Cassidy was defeated. The Senate to now lose an exceptionally brilliant and creative mind. An M.D. who chairs health care and a person of character. Bill Cassidy’s departure is a loss for the country. These guys just don’t get it. These establishment guys, they’re just clueless, aren’t they? It’s astounding. Look, nearly all seven of the Republican U.S. senators who voted to impeach Trump in 2021 are now gone. Pat Toomey, Pennsylvania, gone. Richard Burr, North Carolina, gone. Ben Sasse, gone. Mitt Romney, gone. Bill Cassidy, defeated. There’s only two left, Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski. And Susan Collins is a peculiar political animal because she’s a Maine Republican, a state of Maine Republican. And there’s a lot of peculiarities to the state of Maine. They are a peculiar state. I love Maine, but different kind of bunch there. There’s something in the water when it comes to politics. But she’s also been consistently loyal to most of the Trump agenda, unlike Lisa Murkowski. I can’t explain Lisa Murkowski in Alaska. She needs to get voted out. But the truth is, it doesn’t work. It will not pay to go up against the America First MAGA agenda. It’s way bigger than just Donald Trump. 28 minutes past the hour, coming up, the Attorney General from the great state of South Carolina, Alan Wilson, here on the Mike Gallagher Show. Hey, if you have a tax problem, now’s the time to fix it. It can make a huge difference in your life and your peace of mind. The longer you wait, the more interest and penalties pile up. The IRS will not hesitate to seize your assets, take your bank accounts, or garnish your wages. They might even close your business. Why live with that stress when it can be avoided? Tax Defense and Relief Group understands that dealing with the IRS can be a very time-consuming and stressful experience. Don’t fight the IRS alone. Whether it’s personal or business taxes, you need representation. Tax Defense and Relief Group will immediately contact the IRS, protect you, and resolve your debt for the lowest amount allowed by law. With over 20 years of experience and thousands of cases resolved, they know exactly how to handle the IRS. Give yourself peace of mind. Call Tax Defense and Relief Group. 888-322-0077 888-322-0077 888-322-0077 That’s 888-322-0077 Don’t wait. Protect your money, your business, and your future today.
SPEAKER 05 :
From the wild world of D.C. politics to America’s culture clash, brace yourself for the reality check you’ve been waiting for. The one and only Mike Gallagher.
SPEAKER 04 :
We are definitely in the thick of the political season, aren’t we? Over the weekend, Louisiana Senator Bill Cassidy lost his job, didn’t even make it to the runoff. Wow. What an extraordinary sort of turn of events. kind of proving the point that when you oppose President Trump’s policies and his agenda and you call yourself a Republican, you’re probably not going to last politically. And I suspect that’s going to happen to Thomas Massey tomorrow in Kentucky, but maybe not. I don’t know. Maybe Kentucky’s a bit of a different animal. I’m intrigued by what happens to John Cornyn in the state of Texas. He’s an establishment Republican, to be sure, but he is the Republican who it is believed has a better chance of beating James Tallarico, who is, as my friend Mark Davis calls him, woke Opie, because I guess he bears a resemblance to Opie from Mayberry RFD, Andy Griffith’s son, played by Ron Howard. I don’t know. I don’t know where we go with any of this stuff. I mean, I’m always against telling voters who you should vote for. I’ve got a friend and colleague here who insists that John Cornyn is the only guy who can beat James Tallarico in Texas. And I don’t know, maybe that’s true. Maybe not. But you can’t lecture Texans and tell them who they’re supposed to vote for. The voters are going to vote for who they want to vote for. Paxton is a pretty popular guy with the MAGA base. John Cornyn is not. Now, having said that… There’s kind of a parallel in South Carolina. You know, every time there’s an election cycle, people line up and say, oh, we’re going to get rid of Lindsey Graham. Nobody’s going to get rid of him. He’s not going anywhere. I mean, like his poll, he’s like ahead of his closest challenger, like five to one. He’s not even close. And Lindsey Graham, incidentally, is not your sort of typical establishment rhino. You could have any kind of criticism you want of Lindsey Graham. He’s a guy who understands the MAGA base. He’s a guy who understands President Trump’s America First agenda. And he did something yesterday with Kristen Welker on NBC’s Meet the Press that really bears repeating. You don’t have to agree with Donald Trump 100% of the time. But what you cannot do if you’re an elected Republican is attempt to destroy President Trump. Listen to the way Lindsey Graham laid it out yesterday on Meet the Press.
SPEAKER 03 :
No, I like Bill. I thought he was a great senator, but he made a political decision. He voted to impeach President Trump, which would have ruined his political life. He could never run for office again. Massey’s on the ballot Tuesday. He votes against Trump all the time. What’s the headline? Trump strong. Those who try to destroy Trump politically, stand in the way of his agenda, are going to lose. Bill made a decision. What would LBJ do? their political life so bill cassie’s lost because he tried to destroy trump massey’s going to lose because he’s trying to destroy the agenda you can disagree with president trump but if you try to destroy him you’re going to lose because this is the party of donald trump
SPEAKER 01 :
Very quickly, does his defeat send a message, if this is the party of Donald Trump, that there’s no room in the party to break with President Trump?
SPEAKER 03 :
No, I just talked to him a few minutes ago. We have a difference. President Trump, you talked to him. Yeah, just a few minutes ago. There’s no room in this party to destroy his agenda or to destroy him and his family as a Republican. Democrats do it all the time. If you align with Democrats to stop his agenda like Massey does, You’re going to lose. If you align with Democrats to drive him out of office like Cassidy did, you’re going to lose. I disagree with Trump on President Trump on occasion. He endorsed me. It’s been enormously helpful to me. Thank you, President Trump, for endorsing me. It’s helped me in my primary. It’s just a reality. And it’s a good reality. I think President Trump’s doing a hell of a good job. And if you get if you try to destroy him, you’re going to get destroyed. That’s the takeaway.
SPEAKER 04 :
That’s a pretty powerful message and a ringing endorsement of the Trump agenda in a way that Tom Massey can’t come close. Now, Lindsey Graham predicts that Thomas Massey is going to lose in Kentucky. I’ve seen some reports online that say he’s going to lose by double digits. President Trump definitely wants him out. President Trump has posted comments just condemning him in a huge way, saying he’s one of the worst congressmen. He’s a get-this-loser-out. He’s the worst and most unreliable Republican congressman in the history of our country. He called him a major sleazebag. Kentucky, get this loser out of politics in Tuesday’s election. Look, I just don’t understand how anybody in MAGA world, how anybody who considers themselves a Trump supporter could even consider voting for Tom Massey in Kentucky. Maybe I’m missing something here. 800-655-MIKE. Feel free to jump on board and tell me if I need some education here when it comes to what’s happening. I mean, this Ed Gowrine, who is a former Navy SEAL, a rock-solid MAGA conservative, America-first Republican, Thomas Massey has voted against the president’s agenda time and time and time again. You can like the guy, the fact that whatever you think about him, he’s a renegade, he’s a principled man, he hasn’t gotten rich like so many of his other fellow congressmen have. You can’t try to thwart the Trump agenda and expect to be reelected. So I think Lindsey Graham is right. But again, I’ll always respect the will of the people. It’ll be up to the voters of Kentucky to decide. Feel free to join me, though, and let me know what you think is going to happen tomorrow. It’s going to be fascinating to watch. 800-655-MIKE, 800-655-6453. We’re in the Relief Factor studios for a very busy Monday episode. I’m glad you’re here, and I want to put your voice front and center. What about John Cornyn? Is John Cornyn safe? Are folks like Hugh Hewitt, my colleague here at Salem Media, correct when they say that Cornyn’s the one guy that can beat James Tallarico, Paxton can’t win, he’s got too much baggage? Cornyn is the safe bet for the state of Texas? Is Tom Massey worth being re-elected? And how do you square opposing the Trump agenda with supporting the guy? Doesn’t make a lot of sense to me.
SPEAKER 06 :
Mike Gallagher.
SPEAKER 04 :
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SPEAKER 06 :
Mike Gallagher.
SPEAKER 04 :
So many people living with everyday pain think they’re just stuck with it. It is what it is. It doesn’t have to be that way. Let me tell you about George from Oregon and his Relief Factor story. George is a hardworking guy, spends 10 hours a day in a garbage truck. It’s a tough job, made even tougher because he was dealing with a sore right knee that wouldn’t bend. Here’s the amazing part. He started taking Relief Factor. It changed his life. He said, and I quote, I can bend my knee again with very little pain. ReliefFactor.com ReliefFactor.com Or call 800-4-RELIEF. 800, the number for relief. The three-week quick start, $19.95 from the one and only Relief Factor. Here’s a text message on our text line, which I always appreciate. Please never text and drive. Remember, standard text messaging rates may apply, but everybody loves to text. It’s funny, sometimes you want to text rather than call, and that… That aggravates me a little bit because I’d rather hear your voice. But however you get here, that’s okay. Feel free to text us. North Carolina writes, hearing anybody say Ken Paxton in Texas has more baggage is hilarious. Guarantee the Democrat Tallarico has ten times more baggage than Ken Paxton. I’ll tell you a guy who’s got a lot of political baggage, and that’s Kentucky’s Tom Massey. And I just don’t know how this guy wins tomorrow. And if you’re a Kentucky voter, explain it to me. Explain how you can turn around and say, as a Trump supporter or an America First MAGA advocate, that you’re on board with the guy who votes against Trump every chance he gets. What’s behind that? Help me to understand that. 800-655-MIKE. John’s in South Carolina. Hey, John, welcome to the show. How are you?
SPEAKER 07 :
Hey, Mike. I’m doing great. Listen, man, I’m glad you let me in, and I would love to clear the air on Thomas Massey and explain what is fact, okay? Sure. Let’s clear the air. Thomas Massey does not vote against President Trump all the time. The voting record shows he actually votes with Trump over 90% of the time. That is fact. So he does not oppose Trump all the time.
SPEAKER 04 :
So where do you, you keep saying all the time. Why do you suppose President Trump really enthusiastically wants him defeated if he thinks that Thomas Massey is on board with his agenda?
SPEAKER 07 :
Well, let’s talk about Massey’s voting record. Massey has voted against Trump in three areas. Number one, and it’s not just against Trump. He’s voted against every administration since he’s been in there. The number one area is spending. If you are conservative, you should reduce spending and work on balancing the budget. Trump has not done that. We have increased deficits. We have not controlled spending. There are areas where we have controlled spending, but overall, spending continues to increase and balloon. In four years, Social Security runs out of money, Mike.
SPEAKER 04 :
Yeah. And we’ve talked about this many times on the show. There’s no question that Republicans and Democrats are addicted to too much spending. But you sidestepped my question. Why do you think – No, I’m not. President Trump has called Massey a total disaster, a sleazebag, one of the worst congressmen in the—why do you suppose he has—Massey has earned Trump’s wrath? What has Massey done? If Massey’s so much on board with Donald Trump, which I know Massey tries to convince people he is, well, certainly President Trump doesn’t seem to think so, John.
SPEAKER 07 :
Mike, the voting record shows he votes with Trump over 90% of the time.
SPEAKER 04 :
I’m going to try a third time. Why do you think Trump feels so strongly that Massey’s got to go?
SPEAKER 07 :
Trump, I mean, Massey has disagreed with Trump in three areas. Number one is spending.
Okay, but you’re avoiding the issues I’m bringing up.
SPEAKER 04 :
I’m not avoiding all of them. I’m agreeing with what you’re saying, John. No, I’m asking you, though. Why does Trump think that Messi is a sleazebag that needs to go?
SPEAKER 07 :
Number two, the second issue, we’re talking specific issues.
SPEAKER 04 :
You don’t want to answer my question. Is that it?
SPEAKER 07 :
I am answering your question, Mike.
SPEAKER 04 :
You don’t want to hear the answer. Well, you’re saying number two. Number two, when I say why does Trump think Massey’s a sleazebag that needs to go, I don’t know that saying number two is an answer.
SPEAKER 07 :
Massey has opposed Trump in only three areas.
SPEAKER 04 :
I give up. I’ve tried. I’ve tried, John. You’re not going to answer the question. I don’t know why you don’t want to answer the question. I guess maybe you think the question makes Massey look bad. I mean, there’s no question that Donald Trump believes that Thomas Massey has voted against him time and time and time again. Going to be interesting to see how it turns out. But I suspect that you’re not particularly on board with the Trump agenda either. And maybe that’s not fair, but when you start to criticize President Trump over spending, which incidentally isn’t unfair, I’m not going to say that’s not an argument without any merit, but I’ll tell you something. I suspect that there – and I would have loved to have asked you – I’m just up against the clock here and you’re just kind of going back to your same talking points, John. Sorry. But why do you think liberal Democrats want Thomas Massey to win? If that’s not a giant red flag, have you seen who’s out hoping that Thomas Massey prevails tomorrow? If that isn’t a giant red flag, nothing is. Now, I don’t think anything’s going to convince you to change your mind. You think Trump, Massey’s on board. Again, that’s news to the president. But it’s also very, very, very profound and very notable that you got lunatic leftist Democrats lining up in enthusiastic support for Thomas Massey. That’s a problem. 800-655-MIKE.
