Trump takes fight to Rep. Thomas Massie's backyard

The president is visiting Kentucky to boost the primary challenger to rep. Thomas Massie, whom he has called a "moron," a "lightweight" and a "loser."

If Rep. Thomas Massie is right, Republicans in Kentucky's 4th Congressional District are more loyal to Trumpism than to President Donald Trump — and think he is, too.

"People support Trump, but they also support what he campaigned on," Massie said in a phone interview with NBC News on Tuesday. "When people support me, they're supporting the things that Donald Trump campaigned on actually getting done. And when they support Donald Trump, they're supporting the man they voted for in the last election."

Massie's theory will get a major test Wednesday.

That's when Trump, who has called Massie a "moron," a "lightweight" and a "loser," takes their long-running fight to Massie's backyard with a visit to Hebron, Kentucky, just outside Cincinnati. Trump has endorsed Massie's opponent, farmer and former Navy SEAL Ed Gallrein, and the Trump-aligned super PAC MAGA KY has spent $2.6 million on ads in the race, according to AdImpact. The total is closer to $5 million in favor of Gallrein and against Massie when other outside political groups are included.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt sidestepped classifying the trip as political in nature when she was asked at a briefing Tuesday why Trump planned to make twin stops in Ohio and Kentucky, where he will speak at a packaging company facility.