HEBRON, KENTUCKY — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth will appear with Republican congressional candidate Ed Gallrein at an America First Works event in Hebron, Kentucky, at 1 p.m. on May 18. The gathering is scheduled one day before the May 19 primary election in Kentucky's 4th Congressional District.

The event will be held at 2826 Terminal Drive, next to the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel at the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport. Tickets sold out within a day of the event's announcement, according to a news release from the host organization. Gallrein is also slated to speak.

America First Works, a conservative nonprofit that advocates for what it describes on its website as an "America First agenda," said the gathering will celebrate the "Great American Comeback." Ashley Hayek, America First Works president, said in the release: "Our Nation is experiencing a comeback like never before, but we must fight to keep these America First principles going or risk losing what we've gained."

Gallrein is challenging Rep. Thomas Massie in a House primary that has become the most expensive House primary in history. The relationship between Massie and President Donald Trump deteriorated after Trump began his second term, with the two disagreeing about federal spending, U.S. engagement in foreign wars, and the release of the Epstein files. Trump vowed to support a Republican candidate to oust Massie from office and endorsed Gallrein in October.

In March, Trump rallied for Gallrein at an event in Northern Kentucky during a visit to the Greater Cincinnati area. Multiple politicians and political figures are visiting Northern Kentucky in the days leading up to the primary.