Rep. Andy Barr (R-KY) and Nate Morris, two of the leading Republican candidates for Kentucky’s Senate seat, on Thursday endorsed Ed Gallrein, the GOP challenger to Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY), one of the leading GOP critics of Israel in Congress. 

Gallrein’s primary candidacy has also been championed by President Donald Trump, who has been infuriated by Massie’s frequent votes against party leadership; Massie particularly rankled the White House as a leading advocate for releasing files related to Jeffrey Epstein.

“Northern Kentucky needs a leader who will stand shoulder-to-shoulder with President Trump and always fight for the MAGA agenda,” Barr said in a statement. “Ed Gallrein is an American hero — a Navy SEAL, a fifth-generation farmer, and a small business owner — who has spent his life defending this country. Ed will never side with AOC or the radical-left against President Trump. He is exactly the kind of conservative warrior we need in Congress, and I’m proud to endorse him.”

Barr’s comment references Massie’s pattern of breaking with various elements of Trump’s agenda, which has included voting against support for Israel.

“I’ve said repeatedly President Trump won a historic mandate in Kentucky and he needs allies he can trust in the House and Senate to deliver his agenda,” Morris said in a subsequent statement. “I’m proud to support Ed Gallrein for Congress and look forward to working with him when he’s in the House and I’m in the Senate to deliver the MAGA agenda.”

Massie’s campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Daniel Cameron, the former Kentucky attorney general and the third major candidate in the Senate race also did not respond to an inquiry about whether he plans to endorse Gallrein as well.

“Those guys endorsing Woke Eddie isn’t about my race. It’s about their campaigns,” Massie said in a statement in response to the endorsements.

Barr hit out at Morris in response to Morris’ endorsement, saying he was “following my lead.”

“If only you would have done the same when I chaired President Trump’s primary campaign in Kentucky in 2024. But you were too busy donating to Nikki Haley. Better late than never!” Barr said on X.

An endorsement from Trump could easily swing the Senate race in the deep-red state.

In a statement accompanying Barr’s endorsement, Gallrein praised Barr as a “steadfast ally” of the president, “unlike Thomas Massie.”

“The Republican Party and the conservative movement are united to replace Massie so we can defend the MAGA agenda and send a clear message that Kentucky remains MAGA country and stands firmly behind our President,” Gallrein said.

Gallrein also thanked Morris for his endorsement.

“I thank Nate Morris for his support as Kentucky MAGA conservatives continue to unite against Thomas Massie,” Gallrein said. “Massie represents Trump County, yet partners with the Squad and attacks President Trump with his words and votes. MAGA Kentucky is standing up to defend our President and defeat Thomas Massie.”

The endorsements came amid an ongoing series of attacks by Trump on Massie, which included calling Massie a “moron” in remarks at the National Prayer Breakfast on Thursday, as well as attacks on Truth Social this week targeting Massie’s wife.

Massie recently took to the airwaves in Kentucky with an ad painting Gallrein as “Woke Eddie” and attempting to tie him to diversity, equity and inclusion programs and support for transgender people.

Borrowing a slogan used in Trump campaign ads in 2024 against then-Vice President Kamala Harris, the ad ends with, “Woke Eddie Gallrein. He’ll fight for they/them, but never us.”

Gallrein’s campaign has denied that characterization, and his campaign is airing its own ad introducing voters to Gallrein’s background and highlighting his support from Trump.

Gallrein has raised $1.2 million since entering the race and closed out 2025 with $933,000 on hand — significantly outraising Massie, who brought in $622,000 in the fourth quarter, but trailing well behind Massie’s cash-on-hand total of $2.2 million.

In a letter to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent sent on Monday, Reps. Andy Barr (R-KY) and Jefferson Shreve (R-IN) called for the U.S. government to designate the Palestinian Conference for Palestinians Abroad (PCPA), also known as the Popular Conference for Palestinians Abroad, as an affiliate of Hamas and a Specially Designated Terrorist group.

Israel, which describes the PCPA as the foreign representative body of Hamas, designated the PCPA as a terrorist organization in 2021. The Israeli government released documentation recovered from Hamas in Gaza allegedly showing links between the PCPA and the high-profile flotilla that last month attempted to break the Israeli blockade of Gaza, as well as  anti-Israel demonstrations and other anti-Israel activity abroad.

“Under the guise of a civilian organization, it orchestrates violent demonstrations, anti-Israel flotillas, and other provocations aimed at destabilizing the region and advancing Hamas’s global agenda of eliminating the State of Israel and the Jewish people,” Barr and Shreve wrote in their letter to Bessent. “Ultimately, the PCPA is not a benign advocacy group, but a coordinated network engaged in propaganda, logistical support, and international mobilizations on Hamas’s behalf.”

The letter cites the documentation released by the Israeli government showing direct connections between the PCPA and former Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh. It also highlights the links between the PCPA and the flotilla.

“At a time when the United States and its allies are working to promote peace and stability in the Middle East, we must confront organizations whose actions are the antithesis of those goals,” the letter continues. “The PCPA’s alignment with Hamas and its incitement of violence represent an acute challenge to regional and international security.”

The pair of Republicans urged Bessent to “swiftly” designate the PCPA and its affiliates as terrorists and impose sanctions in order to “disrupt the group’s capacity to bolster Hamas operations, prolong the war, obstruct the return of hostages, and perpetuate a cycle of violence in the region.”

Barr is a candidate for Senate in Kentucky, running for the seat of retiring Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY). Both Barr and Shreve are members of the House Foreign Affairs Committee.