FIRST ON FOX - A former longtime Navy SEAL and fifth-generation Kentucky farmer who is backed by President Donald Trump on Tuesday declared his candidacy in the state's 4th Congressional District, as he challenges Republican Rep. Thomas Massie in next year's GOP primary.

"I’ve dedicated my life to serving my country, and I’m ready to answer the call again," Ed Gallrein said in a statement shared first with Fox News Digital. 

And pointing to Massie, a frequent GOP critic of the president during his second term in the White House, Gallrein emphasized, "This district is Trump Country. The President doesn’t need obstacles in Congress – he needs backup. I’ll defeat Thomas Massie, stand shoulder to shoulder with President Trump, and deliver the America First results Kentuckians voted for."

The campaign launch comes four days after Trump took to social media to praise Gallrein, urge him to run, and blast Massie.

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Trump argued that Massie was a "Third Rate Congressman," a "Weak and Pathetic RINO," and a "totally ineffective LOSER who has failed us so badly."

And the president applauded Gallrein, calling him a "Brave Combat Veteran" and a "very successful Businessman" who, if elected to Congress, would "fight tirelessly to Keep our now very Secure Border, SECURE, Stop Migrant Crime, and Defend our always under siege Second Amendment."

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Trump's social media post included a photo of himself and Gallrein holding red MAGA hats in the Oval Office.

Gallrein served three decades in uniform, rising to the rank of Captain. According to his campaign bio, he served multiple times on SEAL Team SIX, deploying to Panama, Afghanistan, and Iraq, and earned four Bronze Stars and two Presidential Unit Citations.

His campaign release also highlighted that "Gallrein’s roots run deep in Kentucky." He was born and raised in the state. And his family, which has farmed for over a century, built Kentucky's largest dairy farm and Gallrein Grain Farms, one of the state's largest grain operations.

Massie took aim at Gallrein following Trump's social media endorsement, calling him a "failed candidate and establishment hack," as he pointed to Gallrein's unsuccessful run last year for the state Senate.

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"After having been rejected by every elected official in the 4th District, Trump’s consultants clearly pushed the panic button with their choice of failed candidate and establishment hack Ed Gallrein," Massie said in a statement to Politico. "Ed’s been begging them to pick him for over three months now."

Trump started targeting Massie for ouster earlier this year over the seven-term lawmaker's opposition to the "One Big Beautiful Bill," which passed the GOP-controlled Congress early in the summer nearly entirely along party lines. The sweeping GOP megalaw is the president's major legislative achievement since returning to the White House.

Massie is also leading the push, along with Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna of California, in forcing a House floor vote to urge the release of the Justice Department's files on the late convicted sex-trafficker Jeffrey Epstein, a move the White House and House GOP leaders have aimed to counter. Massie is on the verge of reaching the needed 218 signatures to force the vote.

Two top Trump political advisers — 2024 co-campaign manager Chris LaCivita and pollster Tony Fabrizio — in June launched a super PAC that aims to defeat Massie. Nearly $2 million has been spent already to run TV ads targeting Massie.

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But Massie has used the attacks from Trump and his allies to boost fundraising, hauling in more than $750,000 the past three months, which was the best fundraising quarter of his congressional career.

Massie's district, in the northeastern part of the state, includes Louisville's eastern suburbs and Cincinnati's Kentucky suburbs.

The Seattle Seahawks defended their home turf on "Monday Night Football," dominating the Houston Texans on the way to a 27-19 victory. 

Seattle improved to 5-2 on the season, while the Texans, fresh off a bye week, fall to 2-4. 

Sam Darnold and the Seahawks’ offense got off to a roaring start in the first quarter, scoring two touchdowns on their first three drives as Zach Charbonnet and Jaxon Smith-Njigba found pay dirt once again this season. 

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Meanwhile, C.J. Stroud and the Texans’ offense couldn’t get a single thing going all night against this dynamic Seahawks defense. The first four drives for Stroud ended in punts, with no more than five plays ran in any of them. 

Surprisingly, both teams went into halftime with a one-score game, as the Texans were able to convert on two field goals before the second quarter clock hit zero to make it 14-6. 

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Then, in the second half, disaster struck for the Seahawks when Darnold was strip-sacked by Will Anderson Jr. in the end zone and the ball was recovered by the Texans for a much-needed touchdown. The two-point try was unsuccessful, but at 17-12, the game was within reach if Houston could figure something out on defense. 

However, Darnold led the Seahawks to another field goal in the third quarter, and Stroud turned the ball over on downs, which led to this game getting out of hand. 

The fourth-down try was on Houston’s own 41-yard line, and Darnold flipped the field with a 19-yard pass to Smith-Njigba to get in the red zone. A few plays later, Charbonnet added another short run for a score to make it 27-12. 

The Texans’ defense kept trying to keep their team in the game, including their fourth turnover of the game as Derek Stingley Jr. intercepted Darnold. But, even when the Texans were at Seattle’s 3-yard line, they were unable to score a touchdown as the Seahawks’ defense remained relentless. 

But Stroud was finally able to get a red zone trip that ended up with a touchdown, as he found running back Woody Marks to make it 27-19. It wasn’t enough time for Houston, though, as the Seahawks got the job done in the end. 

Looking at the box score, Smith-Njigba had yet another 100-plus-yard game, tallying eight catches for 123 yards with his touchdown to lead the game. And while Charbonnet scored the two touchdowns, Kenneth Walker III added 66 yards on 17 carries on his birthday. 

For the Texans, Nico Collins left the game early with a head injury, finishing with only four catches for 27 yards on 10 targets. It was tight end Dalton Schultz picking up the slack with nine catches for 98 yards.

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