Trump's Massie Smackdown May Cost Him in November

President Donald Trump's GOP revenge tour reached a new level on Tuesday with the expensive defeat of Congressman Thomas Massie, the Kentucky Republican who dared to challenge the president over his abandoned campaign promises. It was a commanding win for a president who is epically unpopular with most Americans, yet retains a vise-like grip on his party. But it was a devastating blow for democracy.

The total cost of the takedown: $33 million. That price tag made it the most expensive congressional primary in history, with about $565 spent for every vote for Massie's challenger, Ed Gallrein. Trump's allies saturated Northeastern Kentucky voters with mailers, text messages and ads that featured an unprecedented use of deceptive AI-generated images.