By Blessing Nweke

President Donald Trump strengthened his hold over the Republican Party on Tuesday, extending a string of primary victories that underscored his continuing dominance within the GOP despite warning signs for Republicans ahead of the midterm elections.

The biggest victory came in Kentucky, where Trump-backed candidate Ed Gallrein defeated Rep. Thomas Massie in a bruising Republican primary. Gallrein secured 54% of the vote after months of attacks from Trump and his allies against Massie, who had openly opposed the president on issues including Trump’s tax-and-spending package and calls to release files tied to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Massie’s defeat marked another blow to Republicans who have challenged Trump. Earlier this month, Trump helped unseat five Republican state senators in Indiana who resisted his redistricting plans. His political network also blocked Sen. Bill Cassidy from advancing in Louisiana after Cassidy voted to convict Trump during his 2021 impeachment trial.

Trump advisers celebrated the results as proof that the former president remains the defining force in Republican politics.

“Donald Trump is going nowhere,” one Trump adviser said. “He has won and will continue to win.”

Still, some Republicans worry Trump’s influence in primaries could hurt the party in the general election. Concerns are especially growing in Texas, where Trump-backed Attorney General Ken Paxton is expected to win the GOP Senate runoff but may face a difficult statewide race against Democratic nominee James Talarico.

Republicans are defending narrow House and Senate majorities, while Democrats hope Trump’s declining approval ratings and divisions within the GOP could help them regain control of Congress in November.