Voters in six states head to polls with all eyes on Kentucky primary race
Welcome to the US politics live blog.
Today, voters in six states are participating in primary elections, with particular attention on Kentucky, where the primary is viewed as a measure of former President Donald Trump’s influence over the Republican Party.
Over the weekend, Trump launched a fierce attack on Kentucky Congressman Thomas Massie, aiming to unseat him. Massie is among the few senior Republicans who have openly challenged Trump. The former president described Massie as the
“worst and most unreliable Republican Congressman in the history of our Country”and urged Kentucky voters on social media to
“vote the bum out on Tuesday.”
Massie has consistently opposed Trump’s agenda, voting against the signature tax and spending cuts bill, advocating for the release of the Jeffrey Epstein files by the Justice Department, and demanding congressional oversight of military actions. He now faces a primary challenge from Ed Gallrein, who is endorsed by Trump.
Republican voters in Kentucky will also select a candidate to succeed Mitch McConnell, the former Senate GOP leader who is retiring. The leading contenders are Congressman Andy Barr and former state attorney general and gubernatorial candidate Daniel Cameron.
On the Democratic side, Charles Booker and Amy McGrath, who previously lost Senate races in 2022 and 2020 respectively, are competing once again for their party’s nomination.
In addition to Kentucky, voters in Georgia, Alabama, Oregon, and Idaho are heading to the polls to choose candidates ahead of the November midterm elections.
San Diego mosque shooting investigated as hate crime
Authorities are investigating a fatal shooting at the Islamic Center of San Diego as a hate crime after three people were killed. Two suspects, both teenagers, were found dead near the scene. Democratic leaders nationwide have condemned the attack, highlighting Islamophobia and calling for stricter gun control measures.
At a healthcare affordability event, Donald Trump announced that his website, TrumpRx.gov, will now feature a catalog of generic drugs. He claimed this expansion would
“increase the number of drugs available on TrumpRx by nearly seven times, adding over 600 affordable generics to the website.”
Trump also sought to dismiss a $10 billion lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service and his administration, which aimed to compensate his allies for alleged government persecution. Democrats criticized the settlement, arguing it effectively creates a
“slush fund”for the president’s allies.
In South Carolina, lawmakers began a detailed discussion on redrawing congressional districts, responding to Trump’s call for a map that could enable Republicans to secure all US House seats in the state.
Trump additionally requested that the attorney general and the Justice Department investigate mail-in voting in Maryland. On Truth Social, he alleged that Maryland had
“sent out 500,000 Illegal Mail In Ballots”and blamed Democratic Governor Wes Moore, stating he
“allowed this to happen in order to make sure that Democrats win.”
Meanwhile, Nancy Pelosi endorsed San Francisco supervisor Connie Chan in the race to fill the congressional seat Pelosi will vacate at the end of her term.
US to admit increased number of white South African refugees
The US government has proposed admitting up to 17,500 white South Africans as refugees beginning in the new fiscal year, according to a CNN report citing an emergency determination letter sent to Congress.
Police are investigating the California mosque shooting as a hate crime after two teenage gunmen killed three people at the Islamic Center of San Diego. Tearful women emerged from a family reunification center established after the incident, while police tape blocked access to the mosque complex.
Emergency responders discovered the victims, all men, outside the complex. The suspects, aged 17 and 18, were later found dead in a vehicle from apparent self-inflicted gunshot wounds.
The US government cited
“unforeseen developments”as creating an emergency refugee situation for white South Africans.
Since beginning his second term, Donald Trump has repeatedly made false claims that white Afrikaners face racial persecution in South Africa, claims that the South African government has strongly denied.
His administration also excluded South Africa from the US Africa Growth and Opportunity Act last year and from this year’s G20 summit, which will be held at one of Trump’s Miami resorts.
The US began accepting refugees in May 2025, prioritizing individuals fleeing war and persecution from countries including Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Sudan. In the fiscal year ending September 2024, the last full year before Trump took office, the US admitted a significant number of refugees.
On Monday, the US State Department sent Congress an emergency notice stating it would admit up to 17,500 Afrikaners as refugees in the year ending September. Previously, in October, the government had announced plans to admit a total number of refugees, primarily white South Africans.
Hegseth breaks tradition to support Massie rival Gallrein
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth visited Hebron, Kentucky, on Monday to support Ed Gallrein, Thomas Massie’s primary opponent, marking a notable departure from tradition.
Hegseth clarified that he was speaking
“as a private citizen”and described Gallrein as a
“warfighter.”
He said,
“President Trump told me, when he first offered me this job, he said, ‘Pete, you’re gonna have to be tough as shit.’ But that’s also what Ed represents, a warfighter, a man forged through service.”
He added,
“I’m here in my personal capacity as a private citizen, a fellow American, and a fellow combat veteran here to support Navy Seal Ed Gallrein.”
Hegseth emphasized,
“President Trump does not need more people in Washington who are trying to make a point, especially from his own party, he needs people willing to help him win to vote with him when it matters the most.”
