Massie Is OUT | Paxton Gets the Nod | Senate GOP, You Don't Get to Cry | 5/20/26

Added: 2026-05-21

[00:00:00]It's Wednesday, May 20th, 2026. So long, Tom. Meet your new White House spokesperson. And no Senate GOP, you don't get to cry now. Next on the AM update.

[00:00:13]President Trump and his political operation have made it one of their main directives in 2026 to unseat Republican incumbent US Representative Thomas Massie of Kucky's fourth congressional district. It seems like they have done just that. They have done just that as Massie lost his primary last night to Ed Gallerin.

[00:00:34]And what was going into this looking at the prediction markets that's not exactly a surprise. What is a surprise though is now twice in the last week we have now had members of Congress two sitting incumbent members of Congress losing their seats. Congressman Thomas Massie has a wonderful voting record for the most part, but one vote in particular which I think finally set off set us off down this road is what he did with the uh big beautiful bill in voting against border security. He had some weird minutia complaint about that bill. He did not vote for it and that's why we are where we now are with Ed Gallowine.

[00:01:16]He is a veteran and he was endorsed by Trump taking out an incumbent in Congressman Thomas Massie. So yes, that's why we're talking about some random district in Kentucky. It's not just any random district. It's one that President Trump in terms of trying to unseat an incumbent, a thorn in his side. That would be Thomas Massie. one that he has given a lot of intention to just yesterday using his ex account his official ex account using the occasion of getting in front of the press to once again hit Thomas Massie who has now been unseated. So so long Thomas Massie from national politics it seems like for now anyway. Also making moves yesterday, President Trump endorsing a week before the Texas runoff for Senate, endorsing Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. Now, Paxton was the one who after the original primary a couple of months ago, it was rumored that President Trump was going to be endorsing incumbent Senator John Cornin. That's when Ken Paxton um sent out that press release saying, "Hey, I'm all for President Trump's agenda. I am all for the Save America Act or the Save Act as it became known or maybe vice versa. I can't remember.

[00:02:28]It's been so long ago. Uh John Cornin was uh kind of on the uh on the fence with that bill. So Ken Paxton said, "Hey, I'll drop out of the race. I'll not have you uh investing any more money in this race, in this Texas Senate race, as long as the Senate actually passes the Save Act." that made President Trump hold off his endorsement because that was just politically untenable to do so.

[00:02:51]And so now, President Trump is endorsing Ken Paxton a week before the primary, saying in a post on Truth Social, "The highly respected attorney general of Texas, Ken Paxton, an America First Patriot and someone who has always been extremely loyal to me and our amazing MAGA movement, is running for United States Senate to represent a place I love and won big three times, 6.4 million votes in 2024." yada yada yada.

[00:03:14]Ken Paxton saying in response to that quote, "I'm incredibly honored to have President Trump's complete and total endorsement. No one has ever fought harder for the American people than President Trump, and I look forward to championing his America first agenda in the Senate. Texans go out and vote." So, that seems like a fate of comply. Yet another sitting GOP incumbent looks probably like he's going to lose his seat in Senator John Cornin of Texas, who if you've seen some of the clips going around of him, not going to bother playing any of those this morning. He seemed genuinely shocked that President Trump endorsed Ken Paxton over him. Also shocked in the Senate various members of the uh ruling class, the Rhino Club like Senator John Thun who was asked and also he seemed that would be Senate Majority Leader John Thun. He seemed rather shocked as well that President Trump went this direction with the uh pick and endorsement in the Texas Senate runoff.

[00:04:07]>> You all know my position on this issue.

[00:04:09]I've made it very clear for um months now and um Senator Cornin is a principal conservative, very effective senator.

[00:04:18]No, he's not >> for the state of Texas >> and uh but I don't none of us control what the president does. He made his decision about that. That doesn't change the way I feel. Um and uh I am certainly um supportive of will continue to be supportive of Senator Cornin and his re-election.

[00:04:34]>> How much harder he made it to? So there is Senate Majority Leader John Thun saying uh John Cornin's a principled conservative.

[00:04:42]He's a representative of the people of Texas. Well, President Trump does whatever he wants to do. All you had to do was pass the uh Save Act. That's all you had to do and you wouldn't be losing your buddy in the Senate. I have more to say on this on air analysis coming up later. Let's go to the White House though. Meet your new White House press secretary. That would be Vice President JD Vance who took on the media for I I mean I listened to most of it. It had to be at least an hour yesterday. And question after question from most of the media, some of the media in that room in the press briefing room. Some of it was friendly. Much of it was not. And the way they framed questions, no surprise, not very friendly to the administration or JD Vance. And I thought he took this thing when stride filling in for White House uh press secretary Caroline Levit filling in pinch hitting duty for Caroline Levit. He took one question in particular one that I have kind of criticized but you know I I also understand where President Trump is coming from even doubling down on it.

[00:05:47]That whole I don't care about Americans finances thing. Here is White House uh press secretary, at least uh Phil and press secretary, Vice President JD Vance.

[00:05:57]>> You last week denied that the president said he was not taking Americans financial situations into consideration when he's making decisions on the Iran war. He was asked about that again. He stood by it, called it a perfect statement, and said he would make it again. Do you believe that Americans financial situations should be taken into consideration when you're making decisions as administration? See, Caitlyn, what you did is you misrepresented the question that I was asked and then you misrepresented the answer that I gave. What I said is that a question that was asked where the president allegedly he allegedly said that he didn't care about Americans financial situations. He never said that. What he said is that when he it was totally taken out of context. What he said is that when he is negotiating with the Iranians, he's focused on the national security objectives that he's trying to achieve. Of course, the president has a mandate to to to be focused on a number of things. And I guarantee you, every single day, I have conversations with him about it. Every single day, he's worried about his fellow Americans. He wants them to be prosperous. He wants them to thrive. He wants them to have good jobs. That's why we've done the things and taken the steps that we've taken. So there's Vice President JD Vance filling in for White House deput press secretary Caroline Levit basically saying the same thing that I've said is that of course President Trump he cares about the financial well-being of Americans but he's not going to telegraph that hey this is my pressure point this is my pain point he's not going to do that while negotiating with the Iranians if they can even be negotiated with but that's topic for another day and then it seems like the day after that and the day after that with the way this Iran debacle is going quick story here. The NAACP is campaigning, calling out Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas, and South Carolina as states to boycott, arguing that the athletic programs of those states flagship universities are especially reliant on black athletic talent and should protect black political interests. You'll notice all of those states have one thing in common. They are right in the crosshairs of potential redistricting. And now the NAACP is calling on uh quote unquote student athletes, for those of you uh listening, I'm doing the scare quotes, air quotes, calling on student athletes to uh use whatever uh tools they have at their disposal to make their voices heard.

[00:08:19]that if you redistrict us uh us Democrats out of any seats in those states, you know, you should pick up your bags and go to like Iowa or Minnesota or Michigan or something. I guess that's what they're trying to say.

[00:08:30]Interesting story. Let's go to this one as well for the break.

[00:08:35]This is just a lesson. Wise of serpents innocent as doves. Part of that is understanding your opponents, your especially your political opponents, understanding the mind of a progressive.

[00:08:46]I can't harp on this enough. Why I I bring this up every opportunity I get.

[00:08:50]There is no final defeat in the progressive mind and the communist mind.

[00:08:54]There's no final victory either. Hakeem Jeff, House Minority uh leader, having this to say about the ongoing redistricting efforts and the overall battle against President Trump and MAGA.

[00:09:06]>> I guess part of how we as House Democrats view this moment. Either MAGA extremists are going to break the country or we're going to break them.

[00:09:14]And our goal is to break them. We will defeat them.

[00:09:20]We have to beat them electorally and then we have to break their spirit because of the extremism that's being unleashed on the American people. That's completely and totally unacceptable.

[00:09:30]>> Hakee Jeff saying he wants to break MAGA. He wants to break MAGA's spirit.

[00:09:38]That doesn't sound like the leader of a minority in one chamber of Congress who uh who is maybe looking at the big picture and saying anything along the lines of it's time to moderate. It's time to reign in the crazies. No, that is the mind of a communist. That's the mind of a progressive. That's the mind of somebody who understands the acquisition and wielding of power is that there is no final defeat and there is no final victory. It is pedal to the metal every single day that ends with why. Horrifying new developments out of Canada and their assisted suicide or assisted killing program. We'll talk about that. Some depressing news. Also, more from Rededicate 250. I don't think some of these messages can be relayed enough. That and more coming up next.

[00:10:32]Let's go to Canada where a doctor there has suggested disabled babies should be euthanized under the country's controversial assisted suicide laws.

[00:10:43]Canadian doctors suggested that babies with severe deformities could be euthanized under the country's assisted suicide laws. Quebec College of Physicians member Louie Roy has been condemned by a lobbying group after a comment he made during a 2022 parliamentary committee resurfaced. Roy previously said that under current Canadian law, assisted suicide could be considered for infants up to 1 year old with severe ailments. Brandon Tran, the voice that you're about to hear, is the director of the public affairs and outreach for political lobby group Campaign Life Coalition. And here's what he had to say detailing this comment and how it might be actually percolating now in political circles in Canada.

[00:11:27]>> I want to draw attention to three concerns about the widening scope of euthanasia in Canada. These are not concerns from the fringes but statements from a member of a provincial medical college, recommendations before parliament and the reality of made right now in Canada. And most Canadians are not yet aware of the extent of the horror. The first concern is about a statement regarding infants. A member of the Quebec College of Physicians has formally stated that maid may be an appropriate treatment for babies from birth to one year of age who come into the world with severe deformities and very serious syndromes and that parents should have the opportunity to obtain this care for their infant. Canadian law currently permits the withdrawal of life sustaining treatment for critically ill newborns. This medical practitioner's proposal goes further. He calls for the calculated killing of an infant. These are patients, babies who cannot speak, cannot consent, and cannot ask for help.

[00:12:25]If we cannot draw the line here, I'm not sure where medical professionals imagine the line to be. The second concern is a proposal regarding mature minors. A report by the special joint committee on medical assistance medical assistance in dying Ahmed has recommended extending maid to children with parent without with parental consent described as optional a physician not a child's parent would determine whether a child is able to consent to his own death in this discussion made advocates showed their true colors and defended the rationale for euthanizing minors without consulting their parents >> that is Brendan TR and public affairs director for the campaign life coalition in Canada detailing some of the new frontiers of the medicallyass assisted dying laws, killing laws that are in place in Canada right now.

[00:13:23]Just cold utilitarianism.

[00:13:26]Just cold.

[00:13:28]If you believe that which is good is that which that which um ceases the greatest amount of pain or that which mitigates the greatest amount of pain. If that's your only rubric for what is good, you're always going to end up killing newborns because well they're in pain. So kill them. They're deformed. Kill them.

[00:13:54]That is cold hard utilitarianism.

[00:13:59]Once it's allowed, eventually something what what slippery slope arguments are undefeated.

[00:14:09]Generally speaking, in public policy, once a policy is allowed, it's just allowed.

[00:14:17]Generally speaking, that policy will be forced.

[00:14:21]There's a reason why in the United States we went from in 2008 California passing a marriage amendment that got overturned in the courts overturning the will of the people. We went from California in 2008 to 2016 passing a marriage amendment to 2016 the Supreme Court saying yeah anybody can marry anybody to the year 2026 Jack the Baker in Colorado is still under legal lawfair for refusing to bake the cake bigot.

[00:15:01]Once something is allowed, generally it becomes coerced.

[00:15:06]And just because something is allowed in Canada, like, hey, we can kill you now legally if you agree to it, if you consent to it, do you really want those same people who are that morally deranged?

[00:15:20]Do you want them to have that power?

[00:15:22]because that's the kind of power they will eventually get under my hypothesis about allowance versus coercion.

[00:15:33]Pray for Canada.

[00:15:35]Let's go back home. Here is Secretary of State Marco Rubio's address over the weekend. And my apologies if you've already heard it, but these are these are our heritage as Christians and Americans. I don't think these messages can be shared or repeated enough.

[00:15:51]Secretary of State Marco Rubio's address in part at the rededicate 250 event over the weekend. On this day, two and a half centuries ago, our forefathers gathered for the second time in as many years for a national day of fasting and prayer.

[00:16:05]The resolution of the Continental Congress called on the 13 colonies to humble themselves in preparation for the coming war with true penitence of heart and the most reverent devotion publicly to acknowledge the overruling providence of God. In 3 and 1/2 months time, the colonists would be an open revolt against the most powerful empire in the history of the world. Many on both sides of the Atlantic thought their cause was a suicide mission. The founders were not naive men. They knew their lives were on the line. That was the premise of Benjamin Franklin's dark joke after signing the Declaration of Independence where he said, "We must indeed all hang together or most assuredly we shall all hang separately." They had no guarantees of victory. They knew that what they were trying to do had never been done before in human history. But with the dark storm clouds of war looming on the horizon, they did what Christians have always done across place and time for 2,000 years. They turned their eyes to heaven and placed their fate in the hands of God.

[00:17:11]It is no coincidence that America from the very beginning has occupied a unique and exceptional place in world history.

[00:17:19]Before the Christian West, most societies and civilizations for that matter thought in stagnant cycles. The flooding of denial, the return of the rains, the cycle of the harvest. History for them was a wheel to nowhere. It turned and turned only to end up back where it began.

[00:17:37]But our faith calls us outwards into the limitless darkness of the unknown. It tells us to go forth and preach the gospel to the world as a witness unto all nations unto the ends of the earth.

[00:17:51]From that command came America. Our nation more than any other in history was shaped by this Christian idea. We saw it at work already in 1630, more than a century before the revolution, when John Winthrop stood on the deck of the Arabella in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, and preached a sermon to his fellow Puritan colonist. We shall be as a city upon a hill, he told them. The eyes of all people are upon us. That same faith pushed America further to new frontiers. It was the engine of westward expansion. Who will respond to the call from beyond the Rocky Mountains? One reverend wrote in a public message to the American churches in 1833, calling for a wave of missionaries to leave the comforts of civilization and spread the gospel in the wilderness.

[00:18:38]Countless Americans answered that call.

[00:18:42]It was the same faith that was at work when Samuel Morse sent the first long-distance telegraph message in 1844.

[00:18:49]His message was a verse from the book of Numbers. What hath God brought? And on Christmas Eve of 1968, >> three American astronauts orbited the moon. They were the first men in history to witness an Earthrise from lunar orbit. To look back at the blue marble of our home from a quarter million miles away. The world was watching. It was the largest television audience in the history of the world up to that point.

[00:19:17]And what did they say? They opened the book of Genesis.

[00:19:21]In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.

[00:19:26]This is who we are. It is who we have always been. America is still a young nation measured against the record of history. And from the beginning, we have carried the belief that our country represents something new in the world.

[00:19:40]But the soul of our nation has always been rooted in an ancient faith.

[00:19:50]Marco Rubio, Secretary of State.

[00:19:53]Secretary of State, so eloquently in a period of about 3 minutes 45 seconds laying out why we are here, how we got here, but why we're here for the future.

[00:20:11]That's the secretary. That's our main envoy. That's our top man to carry out the United States interests all over the planet, all over the globe.

[00:20:21]And you heard it there.

[00:20:24]That is what is unique, exceptional about America is that unlike pre prior to western civilization, unlike all of those other civilizations, Western civilization has acted, believed, embarked upon a notion that we're just more than the the circle of life, Lion King. We're here for a purpose and that is to make the the lordship of Jesus Christ known to everyone to all the nations. A shining city on a hill.

[00:20:59]That's the topic of this week's uh poll of the week over at realam update on X.

[00:21:04]I asked you is the United States of America is it still is it still is our foundation still our faith? I gave you some options to choose from. from go vote. Look for the pin post at realam update on X.

[00:21:20]Let's transition for air analysis today quickly. Got a couple of posts here. One is from Josh Holmes. He runs some sort of public relations group. He co-hosts the Ruthless podcast, which you might have heard of before. I've I've heard of it. I don't really know much about Josh.

[00:21:35]I've got a post from him and a post from Eric Ericson, who's a radio host in Georgia. Uh I'm just going to read these back toback and I'm not trying to pick on either one of them at all. I don't really know much about Josh. I know about Eric. He was a total pansy during CO. But there are some good things that he has to say. There are some really backwards things that I think he has to say, but I'm not trying to pick on either one of these gentlemen. Josh Holmes had this to say after President Trump after President Trump announced that he is endorsing Ken Paxton instead of uh the Rhino Senator John Cornin in that runoff. Josh Holmes said, uh, stating the obvious, the Senate GOP is going to be pretty ungovernable for the next couple of months. Unenviable task for White House Office of Legislative Affairs.

[00:22:21]I hate to break it to you and again I'm not trying to pick on Josh couldn't even like even if you listen to John Thun Senate Majority Leader you couldn't even like have a a a a hope that the Save Act could be passed.

[00:22:42]It has been like pulling teeth to get even some of Trump's judicial noms through ungovernable. It's already ungovernable.

[00:22:55]Here's this from Eric Ericson. Between Cassidy and Cornin, the president's agenda is going to be dead on arrival in the Senate.

[00:23:03]I got to start this over again. Eric says, "Between Cassidy and Cornin, the president's agenda is going to be dead on arrival in the Senate now and Tillis McConnell, etc. And why would any of them bother a heavy lift for Trump?

[00:23:16]The president's agenda is going to be dead on arrival in the Senate. Now, as if we had some sort of great momentum for the MAGA agenda in the Senate of all places prior to Trump endorsing Paxton.

[00:23:28]No, I'm sorry, Senate GOP. You don't get to cry. All you had to do was find the political will. Find the wherewithal to pass the Save Act. That's all you had to do. Political will might have meant, you know, getting rid of the filibuster.

[00:23:47]And actually enduring a filibuster. Did you know in past filibusters uh they've actually set up CS in the anti-chamber of of the Senate, which means that if there were the political will amongst Republicans in the Senate to a nuke the filibuster and b actually endure a Democrat filibuster, they can't filibuster for eternity. They might be able to for several days. All you'd have to do really is sleep. Make sure there's somebody on shifts waking you up for whatever votes you need to take. But all you had to do is sleep to save America.

[00:24:22]They it would have set up some CS for you.

[00:24:26]So no, this is not some great tragedy at all. Putting aside John Cornin's record on the issues is his votes which have been not the greatest. Let's put it that way.

[00:24:41]Setting that aside, no, I I don't feel sorry for the Senate GOP at all, and neither should you. That's going to do it for a Wednesday. Back at it again tomorrow.

[00:24:55]I'm Eric McIntyre, and this is the AM update.