Thomas Massie

Donald Trump loves to be a kingmaker.

The president clearly relishes watching his endorsement – or his opposition – reshape a political race. And he still has that power. Just look at the latest instance in Kentucky, where Trump took out Rep. Thomas Massie in the Republican primary.

It also happened a few days ago in Louisiana, where Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy lost his primary after Trump backed his opponent.

On May 19, Trump did it again in a closely-watched – and record-breakingly expensive – race in Kentucky’s 4th Congressional District between seven-term incumbent Massie and Ed Gallrein, a dairy farmer and retired Navy SEAL.

As South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham noted May 17 on “Meet the Press” after Cassidy’s loss, “If you try to destroy President Trump, you’re going to lose, because this is the party of Donald Trump.”

Massie’s race was widely seen as a test of Trump’s continued hold on the Republican Party.

Trump was furious that Massie dared oppose parts of his agenda, including last year’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which Massie viewed as too sprawling and too expensive.

So, in classic Trump fashion, the president unleashed a barrage of insults and threw his support behind Gallrein – even though in March he said he would have been happy with “a warm body to beat Massie.”

Trump's anger at Massie is more personal than political

Trump makes little effort to hide that he has zero tolerance for mavericks or anyone he sees as disloyal. If you don’t fall in line behind the president’s agenda, he’ll do his best to politically destroy you.

And at a moment when Republicans should be laser-focused on the November midterms elections and holding off Democrats, this kind of intraparty warfare in service of Trump feels like a waste of time, money and political capital.

It also doesn’t seem smart to oust incumbents who’ve proven popular with voters in their districts and states.

The Trump-Massie feud makes it seem like Massie is a rogue Republican, but that's not really the case. According to Heritage Action, which tracks how conservative members of Congress are based on their voting record, Massie has a score of 84% – exactly in line with the average House Republican. He votes with Trump the vast majority of the time.

What Massie won’t compromise on is his strong belief that the country must spend less, and that puts him at odds with Trump on the OBBBA as well as COVID-19 relief funding in Trump’s first term.

He has also opposed war with Iran and foreign aid spending, including assistance to America’s ally Israel.

None of this is especially surprising, however, when looking at Massie through the libertarian lens. He comes from the same strain of politics as his fellow Kentuckian and congressional ally, Rand Paul, another libertarian wrapped in Republican clothing.

Massie's views haven't changed. His voters chose Trump over him.

There are plenty of reasons Republicans might clash with Massie that have nothing to do with Trump. He’s got some quirky stances, and his stance on Israel has angered a sizable segment of the conservative base.

Still, it’s refreshing – and increasingly rare – to see a lawmaker remain consistent in his principles. Massie entered Congress in 2012 as part of the Tea Party wave, and he’s maintained those smaller government ideals.

“We all thought after the assassination attempt (in Butler, Pennsylvania) and then him winning, that he would be even more galvanized to go against the establishment,” Massie told USA TODAY of Trump on May 14. “But he’s been cooperating with them on spending, on wars and that’s the 10% of the time that I don’t vote with him that’s got me in trouble.”

Massie has survived Trump’s wrath before. He cruised to victory in his 2020 primary, even after Trump demanded voters “throw Massie out of the Republican Party.”

Massie’s loss this time suggests a party more interested in loyalty to Trump than the principles they once appreciated in Massie.

“If Massie were being honest with himself and his band of followers, he would have run as a Libertarian,” Republican strategist Dennis Lennox told me via email. “He’s never been a Republican.”

Kudos to Massie for standing firm in his beliefs. But his loss sends a warning to other Republicans tempted to cross Trump.