President Trump claimed another victory Tuesday in his battle against Republican opponents, defeating Rep. Thomas Massie in Kentucky’s Republican primary and eliminating one of his harshest critics from Capitol Hill. Massie had proven to be an especially troublesome adversary for Trump, advocating for the Jeffrey Epstein files to be made public, opposing the Iran conflict, and casting a vote against Trump’s major tax reform package last year.
New polling from AP-NORC reveals that while Republicans express less satisfaction with Trump’s economic management compared to several months ago, they continue to support him overall as the Iran conflict persists. Approximately 6 out of 10 Republicans endorse Trump’s economic policies, according to the survey. This represents a decline from roughly 8 out of 10 in February, prior to the war’s start.
Recent AP-NORC polling indicates that immigration could be regaining its position as a political advantage for Trump.
Immigration served as one of Trump’s political strengths initially, with approximately half of American adults expressing support for his policies, though his approval ratings on this matter declined following periods of intensive immigration enforcement.
Currently, slightly less than half of American adults, at 45%, endorse his immigration policies.
Immigration continues to rank among Trump’s most successful issues with Republicans. Roughly 8 out of 10 — 83% — support his immigration approach, which exceeds the percentage who rate his presidential performance positively.
While Republicans show decreased satisfaction with President Trump’s economic policies compared to recent months, they continue to demonstrate loyalty to him overall.
Approximately 6 out of 10 Republicans — 63% — endorse Trump’s economic management in recent AP-NORC polling. This marks a decrease from 79% in February, prior to the Iran war’s beginning.
Around one-third of all American adults support his economic approach.
This decline hasn’t affected his general job performance ratings — roughly 7 out of 10 Republicans approve of his presidential leadership, consistent with earlier in the year. These results demonstrate Trump’s persistent support within the Republican Party, despite increasing economic concerns.
The initial indicators of a presidential campaign typically involve such discreet and private maneuvering by candidates that political insiders have termed it the “shadow primary.”
However, the emerging Republican competition to replace Trump in slightly more than two years appears to be unfolding in one of the most visible venues imaginable: the White House press briefing room.
Vice President JD Vance, considered among the GOP’s most promising potential presidential contenders for 2028, approached the podium on Tuesday, commanding attention for 54 minutes while responding to reporter questions.
This exceeded by five minutes the session conducted two weeks earlier by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, currently viewed as Vance’s potential primary opponent — or running mate — in 2028.
Vance and Rubio were selected as interim substitutes for White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, who is on maternity leave. The opportunity to field questions before television cameras provided a prominent platform to demonstrate their qualifications for commander-in-chief.
According to a settlement document released Tuesday, the U.S. government will permanently abandon tax claims against Trump, representing an unprecedented exercise of executive authority that could effectively protect the president from additional scrutiny of his financial affairs and legal behavior.
Under the settlement agreement designed to resolve Trump’s $10 billion lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service regarding the disclosure of his tax returns, the U.S. is “forever barred and precluded” from investigating or prosecuting Trump, his sons and the Trump organization’s ongoing tax reviews, according to a single-page document published on the Justice Department’s website.
The government is additionally prohibited from investigating Trump’s family, associates and others, according to the document, signed by acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. This document serves as a separate supplement to the original settlement announced Monday, and was discreetly posted to the Justice Department website on Tuesday.
The White House directed Associated Press questions to the Justice Department, and the U.S. Treasury did not respond to Associated Press requests for comment.
Georgia Republicans will continue their internal competition as they advance toward a runoff to select their nominees for governor and U.S. Senate in the competitive state after Tuesday’s primary failed to determine clear winners.
The Senate runoff will include former college football coach Derek Dooley and Rep. Mike Collins, while Rep. Buddy Carter was eliminated from contention. The victor will face Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff in one of the most scrutinized campaigns in the November midterm elections.
Lt. Gov. Burt Jones and healthcare billionaire Rick Jackson proceeded to the runoff in the Republican gubernatorial primary, continuing their intense and costly campaign rivalry. Former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms secured the Democratic nomination on Tuesday.
With approximately one month remaining until the June 16 runoff, Republicans will invest additional time and resources competing internally before focusing on their Democratic challengers in crucial races.
Alabama will witness a repeat contest between two prominent gubernatorial candidates, while nominees from both major parties will advance to runoff elections next month for a vacant U.S. Senate position.
Republican U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville and former U.S. Sen. Doug Jones, a Democrat, comfortably secured their respective gubernatorial primaries on Tuesday, establishing their second direct competition after Tuberville defeated Jones six years ago.
Jones won election to the U.S. Senate in a special contest in 2017, though his tenure was brief in the strongly Republican state. He hopes voters’ dissatisfaction with their Republican-controlled government, including concerns about healthcare and increasing living costs, will drive him to another uncommon Democratic success in the Deep South.
Tuberville’s entry into the gubernatorial race sparked an intense Republican competition for a vacant Senate seat that will almost certainly remain Republican.
Trump achieved another victory Tuesday against a Republican opponent, defeating Rep. Thomas Massie in Kentucky’s primary and removing one of his most vocal Capitol Hill critics.
Massie had proven especially problematic for Trump. He advocated for releasing the Jeffrey Epstein files, opposed the Iran conflict and voted against Trump’s major tax legislation last year. He lost to Trump-endorsed challenger Ed Gallrein following the most costly U.S. House primary in history.
While Trump has achieved multiple victories this primary season, this particular win perhaps delivers an even stronger warning to the president’s Republican critics. Massie was firmly established in his solidly red Kentucky district before his conflict with Trump intensified, ending a congressional career that started in 2012.
Nevertheless, Massie will continue serving in Congress until his term concludes in January, and without a Republican primary ahead, he now possesses greater freedom than ever to challenge Trump.
