‘Vote The Bum Out’: Massie Tries To Spin President Trump’s Latest Attack On Him As A Positive

Although he has maintained a positive rating across many prominent conservative groups throughout his congressional career, Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) nevertheless ran afoul of the Trump administration when he voted against the president’s landmark tax bill.

In return, President Donald Trump has pushed for Massie’s ouster, including his latest pointed remarks aimed at the congressman’s record.

As The Guardian reported: 

Over an eight-hour period starting in the early hours of Sunday, Trump took to his bully pulpit on Truth Social to taunt Massie, one of very few senior Republicans who has dared to defy him. Massie is the “worst and most unreliable Republican Congressman in the history of our Country”, the rant began, followed by a mid-morning exhortation to Kentucky voters to “vote the bum out on Tuesday”.

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Massie has been a consistent thorn in Trump’s side, voting against his signature tax and spending cuts bill, helping to force the justice department to release the Jeffrey Epstein files, and insisting on congressional oversight over the military actions in Venezuela and Iran. Now he faces a bruising primary against his Trump-endorsed challenger, Ed Gallrein.

Undeterred by Trump’s lurid attacks, Massie put on a brave face on the Sunday political show This Week on ABC News. “I’m the only one they haven’t been able to bully,” he said, adding: “I’m ahead in the polls, and they’re desperate … That’s why the president’s losing sleep and tweeting about this.”

Although Trump’s tax bill garnered widespread support from his base and many applaud his campaign against Massie, not all of the president’s backers are in favor of this particular battle:

If you want a Congressman who will get things done, Massie is obviously NOT your guy. He may sometimes have good reasons for gumming up the works, but his results are terrible.

Obstruction is for when the OPPOSING team is in power.

— Perfunctory (@pfunkin) May 18, 2026

Trump says he is looking for a primary challenger for GOP Rep. Lauren Boebert after she was spotted campaigning with Thomas Massie: pic.twitter.com/m929kWEvW9

— TheBlaze (@theblaze) May 16, 2026

I beg of anyone in Kentucky if you care about the country or the ideas of the constitution please get out and vote for Massie. Do not allow this to happen or we are truly lost

— CuriousGeorge (@curiousg9204) May 18, 2026

As Breitbart reported, Massie is seeking to portray the presidential backlash as a blessing in disguise ahead of a hard-fought primary election:

MASSIE: Well, I think that’s going to help my fundraising at thomasmassie.com. Every time he tweets about me, it’s good for, you know, some money coming in because people don’t like that. And, you know, how did this race become the most expensive race in the history of Congress for a primary? It’s because three billionaires from outside of Kentucky have funneled millions of dollars in here. They’re trying to buy a seat. And so, it’s not just the president’s tweets. I could sustain those without a problem. It’s because Miriam Adelson and Paul Singer have dumped money in here. In fact, Miriam Adelson has given so much money to my opponent that instead of paying for the ballroom they’re going to need taxpayer money for the ballroom now.

STEPHANOPOULOS: Well, you — and you’ve actually said this week that this — that your vote is a referendum on whether Israel gets to buy seats in Congress. What did you mean by that?

MASSIE: Well, the RJC, AIPAC and Miriam Adelson and Paul Singer, they’re all part of the Israeli lobby. And that’s where all the money comes from. And it will be a referendum on foreign policy, whether Israel gets to dictate that by, you know, bullying members of Congress. And I’m the one they haven’t been able to bully. So, they’re putting all the brunt, the force on me. But you can tell that I’m ahead in the polls and they’re desperate. That’s why they’re sending the secretary of war to my district tomorrow. That’s why the president’s losing sleep and tweeting about this. That’s why AIPAC has dumped another $3 million into my race this weekend, is because they’re panicked, and they really haven’t been able to gain a lead in this race.

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Here’s a clip of that interview:

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