Latest news with #MAGAKentucky
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump Lashes Out at His Nemesis Bringing Epstein Victims to the Capitol
President Donald Trump fired a loud-and-clear warning shot at a Republican lawmaker who is bringing a number of Jeffrey Epstein's sex abuse victims to the U.S. Capitol to force the release of legal files on the late pedophile financier. Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky has teamed up with Democratic Re. Ro Khanna of California in a bipartisan push to secure a House vote on releasing the files from the Epstein investigation. They're holding a press conference on Sept. 3 to provide an update on the effort and have invited some of Epstein's victims to speak. Massie, an avowed fiscal hawk, has also been a thorn in Trump's side when it comes to his policy agenda, voting against his deeply unpopular 'Big Beautiful' budget bill—which the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimates will add $3.4 trillion to the deficit—and opposing his air strikes on Iran. The president has now sent Massie a thinly veiled warning in the form of a polling report that found the lawmaker's break with Trump has made him susceptible to a primary challenger. On Thursday night, Trump posted screenshots of the findings on Truth Social with key sections highlighted, but without writing anything himself. A poll conducted in his district found that Massie's image ratings had gone from +14 in June to -11 in August, and that his job approval rating fell from +11 to -16. The drop was attributed to an ad campaign run by a political action committee called MAGA Kentucky. The president's favorable ratings, meanwhile, remain high among Republicans, and 57 percent of primary voters would be 'more likely to vote for a candidate who is endorsed and supported by President Trump,' the survey found. That makes Massie 'extremely vulnerable in a Republican primary election for Congress,' pollsters McLaughlin & Associates concluded. The firm—which is one of Trump's most trusted pollsters—reached a similar conclusion in June, when Massie's approval ratings were still in positive double digits. Trump shared those results as well, Newsweek reported. The president has frequently lashed out at Massie and called for him to primaried. In a July 21 post on Truth Social, Trump called Massie the 'worst Republican Congressman' and an 'embarrassment to Kentucky.' 'He's lazy, slow moving, and totally disingenuous - A real loser! Never has anything positive to add. Looking for someone good to run against this guy, someone I can Endorse and vigorously campaign for,' he wrote. This time, Trump presented the poll findings without comment. Massie has taken the threats in stride, saying he doesn't care what the president thinks about him. After Republicans narrowly passed the budget bill in early July, Massie turned his focus to getting full access to the FBI and Department of Justice's investigative files on Epstein, who was close friends with Trump for more than a decade. Earlier this month, he suggested in a social media post that MAGA Kentucky was targeting him because one of its billionaire donors 'appears in Epstein's black book.'
Daily Mail
05-08-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Trump's top lieutenants pour millions into their campaign to vanquish MAGA nemesis after attempted truce is left in tatters
President Donald Trump 's top lieutenants are coming for the seat of Republican Rep. Thomas Massie. Massie, a libertarian-leaning Republican from Kentucky, was one of two no votes on Trump's 'big, beautiful bill,' which the president signed into law on the Fourth of July. More recently, Massie joined forces with Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna on a bill that would force the public release of the Epstein files. For months, Trump has expressed his ire with Massie publicly, throwing punches at him on social media. Last week Axios reported that at Massie's request, House Speaker Mike Johnson had negotiated a truce with Trump. But Massie broke the truce days later, by tagging Johnson in an X post and asking: 'why are you running cover for an underage sex trafficking ring and pretending this is a partisan issue?' 'MAGA voted for this,' Massie also said. On Monday, MAGA Kentucky - a super PAC helmed by Trump 2024 campaign guru Chris LaCivita and Trump pollster Tony Fabrizio - put out a new anti-Massie ad, signaling their serious about dislodging the rabble-rousing congressman from his northern Kentucky seat. LaCivita - and Fabrizio - remain in Trump's inner circle, with LaCivita spotted on board Air Force One Friday, as the president flew to spend the weekend at his Bedminster, New Jersey golf resort. The new ad - first reported by NOTUS - was a six-figure television ad buy. MAGA Kentucky has already amassed more than $2 million in donations, Federal Election Commission data showed. 'Who's Thomas Massie fighting for?' the ad asks. 'Not the single moms who no longer pay taxes on their tips, not the police officers who no longer pay taxes on their overtime, not the seniors who no longer pay taxes on Social Security,' it continues. 'President Trump passed those working-class tax cuts, but Thomas Massie joined the Democrats and voted no,' it says. 'Let's fire Thomas Massie.' Massie had put out his own campaign ad where he played up his no vote against the 'big, beautiful bill,' blasting it for adding $4 trillion to the national debt. 'And now I'm leading the charge to force a vote to release the complete Epstein files,' Massie touted. Massie has already attracted one challenger for next year's race - a registered nurse named Nicole Lee Ethington. Late July polling from Kaplan Strategies found that Ethington leads Massie 31 percent to 19 percent in a district where Trump enjoys 89 percent favorability. The poll was of likely GOP primary voters in Kentucky's 4th Congressional District and had a margin of error of plus or minus 5.1 percent. But Massie shouldn't be counted out yet. In the second quarter of 2025, the Kentucky Republican raised $584,000 and had $1.7 million on hand, NOTUS reported. Amid Trump's fight with Elon Musk, the Tesla head also vowed to financially support Massie's reelection bid. Massie's team has stayed tight-lipped so far on whether Musk is making good on that promise.
Yahoo
02-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Musk Vows to Back Trump's Nemesis as Their Feud Explodes
Elon Musk has promised to donate to Rep. Thomas Massie's re-election campaign as the Kentucky Republican faces down the wrath of Donald Trump. The world's richest man responded with a simple 'Me' on X after a user asked who else would support Massie's 2026 re-election bid, as Musk's feud with the president enters proxy war territory. Massie has long been a thorn in Trump's side, frequently voting against his legislative priorities—notably his 'One Big Beautiful' spending bill—and publicly opposing the decision to launch airstrikes on Iran. Trump is now actively working to oust Massie from office. The president's team launched a new Super PAC, MAGA Kentucky, which has already aired attack ads targeting the congressman. Trump is eyeing Kentucky state Senator Aaron Reed to replace Massie as the Republican candidate for Kentucky's 4th Congressional District, reported Politico. Massie did not immediately responded to a request for comment from the Daily Beast. Massie, who backed Trump's rival Ron DeSantis, the governor of Florida, in the 2024 GOP presidential primary, is set to gain the financial backing of Musk as he seeks another term in office The tech billionaire pumped nearly $300 million into Trump's 2024 White House bid, and suggested the president 'would have lost the election' if it wasn't for his funding during the pair's explosive falling-out last month. It seemed that Musk and Trump's public spat had cooled down, but it has been reignited as negotiations on Trump's megabill continue in the Senate. Musk went into furious posting spree on X, complaining that it would add trillions to the national debt. Musk also vowed to help form a third political party, dubbed the America Party, if Trump's spending bill gets passed. On Monday, Musk also suggested that members of Congress who 'campaigned on reducing government spending and then immediately voted for the biggest debt increase in history should hang their head in shame.' 'And they will lose their primary next year if it is the last thing I do on this Earth,' he added. Trump fired back with his own late-night Truth Social threat while defending his plan to roll back a Biden-era electric vehicle mandate. 'Electric cars are fine, but not everyone should be forced to own one. Elon may get more subsidy [sic] than any human being in history, by far, and without subsidies, Elon would probably have to close up shop and head back home to South Africa,' Trump wrote. 'No more Rocket launches, Satellites, or Electric Car Production, and our Country would save a FORTUNE. Perhaps we should have DOGE take a good, hard, look at this? BIG MONEY TO BE SAVED!!!' Shares in Musk's electric vehicle company Tesla fell more than 5 percent in European premarket trading on Tradegate shortly after Trump's tirade.
Yahoo
27-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump allies begin hitting Massie with attack ads over opposition to agenda
A super PAC aligned with President Donald Trump has launched an attack ad targeting Kentucky Republican Rep. Thomas Massie after his series of high-profile breaks with the administration, including opposition to a landmark policy bill and criticism of strikes against Iran. 'What happened to Thomas Massie,' the ad begins, ticking through a list of conservative policy priorities that it says Massie voted against, a broad reference to Massie's opposition to the sprawling Republican policy bill making its way through Congress. Massie cited concerns over spending levels and deficits in his vote against the 'big, beautiful bill,' as it's been dubbed by Republicans. The ad also hammers Massie explicitly over his opposition to the administration's decision to strike Iran's nuclear facilities over the weekend, encouraging voters to 'fire Thomas Massie.' The ad presents a high-profile example of Trump leveraging his powerful political network against recalcitrant members of his own party as he wrestles with dynamic foreign policy challenges and works to steer his domestic agenda through Capitol Hill. It comes from a group, MAGA Kentucky, created by Trump allies specifically to target Massie, with plans to spend $1 million on the ad campaign, targeting TV and digital platforms, according to Axios, which first reported on the group. Data from the ad tracking firm AdImpact shows that MAGA KY has already reserved about $100,000 worth of airtime in July. MAGA KY shares a treasurer with Trump's main super PAC, MAGA Inc., according to its limited disclosures so far with the Federal Election Commission and is overseen by key Trump allies – connecting it to a network of political committees and joint fundraising agreements steering tens of millions of dollars in campaign cash ultimately aligned with the president. And while Trump is constitutionally ineligible to run for office again, that immense war chest has given him ample resources, along with his durable political capital, to direct against members – including Massie – who break ranks to oppose his agenda, cementing the president's grip on the party. Last month, Trump fumed against the Kentucky Republican amid his steadfast opposition to the president's signature policy bill. 'I don't think Thomas Massie understands government. I think he's a grandstander, frankly. He'll probably vote- We don't even talk to him much. I think he should be voted out of office,' Trump said. Massie, however, has cultivated a defiant independence during his time in Congress and has dismissed the threats from Trump and his allies. 'If they would just quit hitting me I might get bored and give up,' Massie told reporters on Capitol Hill earlier this week. 'But I'm not going to lose. I do not lose.'
CNN
27-06-2025
- Politics
- CNN
Trump allies begin hitting Massie with attack ads over opposition to agenda
A super PAC aligned with President Donald Trump has launched an attack ad targeting Kentucky Republican Rep. Thomas Massie after his series of high-profile breaks with the administration, including opposition to a landmark policy bill and criticism of strikes against Iran. 'What happened to Thomas Massie,' the ad begins, ticking through a list of conservative policy priorities that it says Massie voted against, a broad reference to Massie's opposition to the sprawling Republican policy bill making its way through Congress. Massie cited concerns over spending levels and deficits in his vote against the 'big, beautiful bill,' as it's been dubbed by Republicans. The ad also hammers Massie explicitly over his opposition to the administration's decision to strike Iran's nuclear facilities over the weekend, encouraging voters to 'fire Thomas Massie.' The ad presents a high-profile example of Trump leveraging his powerful political network against recalcitrant members of his own party as he wrestles with dynamic foreign policy challenges and works to steer his domestic agenda through Capitol Hill. It comes from a group, MAGA Kentucky, created by Trump allies specifically to target Massie, with plans to spend $1 million on the ad campaign, targeting TV and digital platforms, according to Axios, which first reported on the group. Data from the ad tracking firm AdImpact shows that MAGA KY has already reserved about $100,000 worth of airtime in July. MAGA KY shares a treasurer with Trump's main super PAC, MAGA Inc., according to its limited disclosures so far with the Federal Election Commission and is overseen by key Trump allies – connecting it to a network of political committees and joint fundraising agreements steering tens of millions of dollars in campaign cash ultimately aligned with the president. And while Trump is constitutionally ineligible to run for office again, that immense war chest has given him ample resources, along with his durable political capital, to direct against members – including Massie – who break ranks to oppose his agenda, cementing the president's grip on the party. Last month, Trump fumed against the Kentucky Republican amid his steadfast opposition to the president's signature policy bill. 'I don't think Thomas Massie understands government. I think he's a grandstander, frankly. He'll probably vote- We don't even talk to him much. I think he should be voted out of office,' Trump said. Massie, however, has cultivated a defiant independence during his time in Congress and has dismissed the threats from Trump and his allies. 'If they would just quit hitting me I might get bored and give up,' Massie told reporters on Capitol Hill earlier this week. 'But I'm not going to lose. I do not lose.'
