Congress’ most prominent anti-Israel Republican capped off the most expensive House primary campaign in U.S. history this weekend by hosting a group of supporters, including one wearing an “American Reich” sweatshirt Friday.
Thomas Massie, a seven-term representative up for reelection in Kentucky’s 4th district, is facing a challenge from a former Navy SEAL, Ed Gallrein, in a competitive race on Tuesday. The primary will almost certainly determine Kentucky’s representative from the safely Republican district.
Though he has long held isolationist views, Massie is part of a growing anti-Israel cohort on the right, where watchdogs have identified a recent mainstreaming of antisemitism and Nazi rhetoric. His staunch criticism of President Donald Trump on issues including Israel and Iran prompted Trump to back Gallrein’s challenge, helping him pose a strong challenge to the incumbent.
Most polling shows an extremely close race between Massie and Gallrein, with surveys from the past week showing Gallrein with a slight lead.
“He’s the most anti-Israel Republican in the House,” Patrick Dorton, the spokesperson for United Democracy Project, a super PAC affiliated with the pro-Israel lobby AIPAC, told POLITICO in reference to Massie.
“This is a competitive, close primary situation. It’s always hard to defeat incumbents,” Dorton added. “But we think there’s an opportunity here.”
AIPAC has spent about $2.6 million on the race, according to Axios. All together, the race has featured an estimated $32.6 million in spending, according to AdImpact, an advertising tracking firm, which said the race is likely to be the most expensive in U.S. history.
Allegations of antisemitism have been leveled against Massie for a number of incidents, including comparing COVID measures to the Holocaust in a 2021 Twitter post. He was the only member of Congress in 2022 to vote against a resolution that condemned antisemitism, arguing that it limits free speech.
Massie’s office did not immediately respond to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency’s requests for comment.
Over the weekend, Massie held various campaign events during which Ryan Matta, whom the Anti-Defamation League has labelled an antisemitic conspiracy theorist, was spotted wearing a sweatshirt bearing the words “American Reich” and posing with the candidate. The “American Reich” group, which opposes Israel and says on its website that it is “pro-liberty,” has been criticized for using language resonant of the Nazi regime though it says it does not sympathize with Nazis. Its imagery and name is evocative of Nazi Germany, with an eagle logo akin to the Reichsadler in addition to its use of the word “Reich” in its name.
Massie also appeared over the weekend with Stewart Rhodes, founder of the far-right extremist group The Oath Keepers, at a campaign stop, photos circulating on social media showed. The ADL describes the Oath Keepers as a militia movement motivated by a conspiracy theory called the New World Order, which frequently overlaps with antisemitic themes.
A widely condemned pro-Massie campaign ad last week claimed that a Gallrein win would bring “trans woke madness” to Kentucky at the behest of billionaire and Republican donor Paul Singer, who is Jewish. The ad placed a rainbow Star of David next to a photo of Singer’s head.
The Republican Jewish Coalition Victory Fund, the super PAC related to the Republican Jewish Coalition, has spent close to $5 million in pro-Gallrein ads, a spokesperson for RJC Victory Fund told JTA. Matt Brooks, the RJC’s CEO, told The New York Times in November that defeating Massie is a “top priority” of the group.
“For years, the Republican Jewish Coalition has opposed Thomas Massie, and for good reason,” Brooks told JTA in a statement Tuesday. “Massie has been a thorn in the side of President Trump, the Republican Party, and the Jewish community writ large, siding time and again with the far-left Squad on top issues of concern. His record is indefensible, and tonight, the Republican primary voters of Kentucky will hold him accountable.”
Groups like the RJC want to see the seat occupied by a Republican with a more pro-Israel view. Massie has criticized U.S. support for Israel, voted against a resolution that condemned the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement, and in 2023 voted against a resolution that equated anti-Zionism with antisemitism. In 2025, he voted against continued funding for the Iron Dome missile defense system in Israel. He also voted against supporting American intervention in Iran earlier this year. At times, he is the only Republican siding with left-wing Democrats on Israel votes.
“For those of us who care about these issues, ousting Massie is critical,” Gabe Groisman, a former RJC board member, told POLITICO.
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