Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) may have crossed the line one too many times with President Donald Trump and the America First Movement (also known as MAGA). The proof is in the pudding as they say. And the pudding is new polling data.
In a survey done to get a feel for how voters feel about the Republican primary in the state of Kentucky, it was found that Massie’s challenger, Nicole Lee Ethington, pulled in 31 percent, while he only garnered 19 percent. A total of 51 percent say they haven’t made up their minds yet.
And things only get worse for Massie from that point forward. President Trump’s favorable/unfavorable ratting in the state is: 89-9, while Massie’s is 23-62. Ouch. That’s going to leave a scar.
The president is taking aggressive action against Massie, having launched a political operation to get him booted out of office in the midterm elections. Both the efforts made against Massie and, their potential success are also powerful messages sent to the rest of the Republican Party in office that Trump and his team are willing to play hardball if necessary.
Massie, who leans heavily libertarian, has been highly critical of Trump’s strike on Iran, going on to refer to the military action as “not Constitutional.” This led to the president launching a counter-offensive at Massie, accusing him not being MAGA.
And the verbal beatdown wasn’t finished there. Trump also referred to Massie as being “weak, ineffective,” and “disrespectful to our great military, and all that they stand for.”
There were only two members of the House GOP who voted against the president’s “big, beautiful bill,” last month. Any guesses who one of them was?
Check out more from Axios:
Trump’s $500 million political apparatus is the most powerful, well-funded force in American politics — and gives Trump a weapon with which to target any lawmaker who crosses him. Trump’s team has launched Kentucky MAGA, a super PAC devoted to defeating Massie in the May 2026 primary.
The organization will be run by Trump’s senior political advisers, Tony Fabrizio and Chris LaCivita. LaCivita said the PAC would spend “whatever it takes” to defeat Massie. Plans for taking on Massie were in the works before the congressman decided to call Trump’s attack on Iran unconstitutional, a Trump aide said. Trump’s operation has been talking with potential Republican challengers to Massie.
Aides say the goal is to rally around one Massie opponent, so that multiple rivals don’t splinter support. The Trump team earlier this month quietly commissioned a survey gauging Massie’s support in his conservative central Kentucky district and found that the congressman would be vulnerable to a Trump-backed primary challenge.
It’s looking like Massie’s goose is well and thoroughly cooked.
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