Who is Thomas Massie? Kentucky Republican Trump wants to beat in high-stakes primary battle | Today’s news
US President Donald Trump stepped up his attacks on Kentucky Republican Congressman Thomas Massie ahead of Tuesday’s Republican primary, calling him the “worst and most unreliable Republican congressman” and urging voters to support Trump-backed challenger Ed Gallrein.
In a series of posts on Truth Social, Trump accused Massie of disloyalty, describing him as “the sleazebag in chief” and “a real negative force.”
“Kentucky, get this LOSER out of politics in Tuesday’s election,” Trump wrote.
The president also paired Massie with Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, who was defeated in the state’s Republican primary after years of criticism from Trump over Cassidy’s 2021 vote to convict him during the impeachment trial.
In a lengthy post on Truth Social late Saturday, Trump described Massie as “the worst and most unreliable Republican congressman in the history of our country” and accused him of repeatedly undermining the Republican agenda.
“Tom Massie of Kentucky, the worst and most unreliable Republican congressman in the history of our country, is an even greater insult to our nation than Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana,” Trump wrote.
The president paired Massie with defeated Louisiana Sen. Bill Cassidy, who lost the Republican primary after years of criticism from Trump over Cassidy’s vote to convict him during the 2021 impeachment trial.
“That’s what you get when you vote to impeach an innocent man,” Trump said as he celebrated Cassidy’s defeat.
Trump endorses Ed Gallrein
Trump used the post to strongly endorse Ed Gallrein, describing him as a “successful Kentucky farmer” and “America’s war hero.”
The president also mocked Massie’s alliance with Sen. Rand Paul, saying the congressman was nicknamed “Rand Paul Jr.” because of his “absolutely terrible voting habits.”
‘Vote the killer’
In a second Truth Social Post, Trump accused Massie of voting against key Republican priorities, including tax cuts, border protection measures, military funding and support for law enforcement.
“Bad Congressman Tom Massie voted against tax cuts, the border wall, our military and law enforcement,” Trump wrote.
“Actually, he voted against almost everything that’s good. Worst Republican congressman in history.”
Trump went on to urge Republican voters in Kentucky to defeat Massie in Tuesday’s contest.
“Kentucky, vote the bum out on Tuesday. We can’t live with that troublemaker for another two years,” he said. “It’s a real negative force!!!”
MIT-trained engineer turned libertarian lawmaker
Massie, 55, has represented Kentucky’s 4th congressional district since 2012. The district includes the Kentucky side of the Cincinnati metropolitan area and stretches across northeastern Kentucky.
Before entering politics, Massie built a career as an engineer and entrepreneur. He earned degrees in electrical and mechanical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and co-founded SensAble Technologies, a startup focused on haptic technologies that allowed users to “feel” digital objects.
He later served as executive judge in Lewis County, Kentucky, before winning a seat in Congress with strong support from Tea Party conservatives and libertarian Republicans including Rand Paul and Ron Paul.
A Republican who often breaks with Republicans
Massie built a reputation as one of the most independent and adversarial Republicans in Congress. A self-described constitutional conservative and libertarian, he often votes against party leadership and major bills of both parties.
Over the years he has opposed:
-Foreign military intervention
-Extensive surveillance laws
-Large federal spending
-Some sanctions against foreign governments
He also repeatedly voted against overwhelmingly bipartisan measures, earning him the nickname “Mr. No” in Congress.
Massie was one of the few Republicans who did not support the effort to overturn the 2020 presidential election, and he frequently clashed with GOP leadership over fiscal policy and constitutional issues.
Growing feud with Trump
While Massie generally leaned toward conservatives during Trump’s first presidency, tensions have escalated during Trump’s second term.
-Opposing Trump-backed spending legislation, including the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act”
-Criticize US military action abroad
-Supporting efforts to release the Epstein files
-Parting with Trump on several foreign policy issues
The pandemic clash put Massie in the spotlight
Massie gained national attention during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic when he forced House lawmakers to return to Washington to vote in person on a $2.2 trillion pandemic relief package.
At the time, Trump called him a “third-rate tribune.”
Massie defended his move by arguing that Congress should not circumvent constitutional quorum requirements.
“The Constitution requires a quorum to pass a bill,” Massie said at the time.
Libertarian views shape his politics
Massie’s positions often reflect libertarian principles focused on limited government and individual freedom.
-Against unauthorized tracking programs
-Called for an audit or abolition of the Federal Reserve System
-Supported expansion of gun rights
-Supported legalization of industrial hemp
-Criticized federal vaccination mandates
-Opposed many foreign wars and military aid packages
He also voted against some bipartisan human rights resolutions and argued that the US should avoid meddling in the affairs of other countries.
A personal tragedy
His wife, Rhonda Massie, whom he met in high school and attended MIT, died in 2024 of complications from an autoimmune disease. The couple had four children together.
The primary fight is becoming a test of Trump’s influence
The Kentucky race looms as another big test of Trump’s grip on the GOP as he continues to target GOP figures he sees as disloyal.
But Massie remains popular among libertarian conservatives and deficit hawks, who see him as one of the few Republicans consistently willing to stand up to both parties on spending and the war effort.
The outcome of Tuesday’s primary could determine whether independent-minded Republicans still have room inside Trump’s GOP.
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