On July 22, Trump attacked Rep. Thomas Massie on Truth Social, calling him “the worst Republican Congressman” and “an embarrassment to Kentucky.” That was no stray insult. Trump is recruiting a primary challenger and says he plans to campaign in Kentucky to remove Massie from office.
The breaking point was Epstein, not just policy. Massie filed a discharge petition to force a vote on releasing all unclassified files tied to Jeffrey Epstein’s trafficking network. Flight logs, phone records, case files. Speaker Mike Johnson abruptly shut down the House for summer recess before the vote could happen. Massie said the move was meant “to keep everybody else in line.”
Last night, Trump started working Kentucky. He’s laying the groundwork to take out @RepThomasMassie in the midterms.
Are you going to let him remove the only honest man in Washington? pic.twitter.com/gg38uUfyMg
— Karl K. Wuckert (@KarlKWuckert) July 23, 2025
The petition requires 218 signatures. Massie already has six Republicans supporting it. More are expected when Congress returns in September. The FBI and DOJ claim no client list exists. Massie refuses to accept that. He said, “If it’s a hoax, then Maxwell should be pardoned.” He also suggested Epstein may have ties to Israeli intelligence. No proof was given, but the implication hit hard.
Massie represents northern Kentucky with about 768,000 residents. He won his last primary with 76 percent of the vote. His campaign reported $1.7 million raised for 2026. Donations surged after Trump’s attack. Elon Musk publicly backed Massie on July 21, calling him “awesome” and pledging support. Musk had just launched the America Party to oppose Trump’s spending plan.
Massie opposed Trump’s trillion-dollar spending bill and the Iran airstrikes. He said the bill adds trillions to the deficit and the strikes violated the Constitution. Trump fired back calling him “lazy” and “a loser.” A new MAGA super PAC called MAGA Kentucky started a $1 million ad campaign against Massie. The ads twist his voting record. Fact-checkers found he supported border security and tax cuts but opposed budget gimmicks.
Locally opinions differ. A state representative in Frankfort said Massie reflects the district’s independent streak. A GOP consultant said the primary will be costly and divisive. A Boone County voter said, “Massie is the only one who tells the truth. That’s why they hate him.”
Massie’s allies include Rand Paul and a growing Liberty Republican group. They reject deficit spending, foreign wars, and centralized power. Trump’s team sees them as enemies. The midterms will decide if loyalty or principle wins.
Massie says this fight is bigger than him. It is about whether Congress thinks independently or just rubber-stamps the executive branch. He is betting voters still care about that.
Sources
https://www.yahoo.com/news/trump-crowns-worst-republican-congressman-181840803.html
https://www.yahoo.com/news/gop-congressman-thomas-massie-gets-142459114.html
https://www.factcheck.org/2025/07/maga-ad-distorts-how-massie-diverges-from-trump
