Thomas Massie, GOP rebel who defied Trump and tried to oust Johnson, survives primary threats
Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., prevailed in a three-way Republican primary on Tuesday night, paving the way to an eighth term representing his deep red Kentucky district.
Massie enjoyed a decisive victory during what’s been a tumultuous period for both the House GOP and himself.
The libertarian Republican was one of three GOP rebels pushing to oust Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., from power over his bipartisan work on government spending and foreign aid. Their bid failed earlier this month when a significant number of Democrats joined a majority of Republicans to block a House-wide vote.
OHIO PURGES ‘NON-CITIZENS' FROM STATE VOTER ROLLS, CALLS ON BIDEN ADMIN FOR DATA AHEAD OF 2024 ELECTION
Massie told reporters in late April that his voters were behind him, however, even as a litany of GOP lawmakers lined up to deride the effort and warn it would cost them the November election.
"I haven't gotten any blowback," Massie said at the time. "I explained the problem with Mike Johnson and the three big betrayals he's made to the majority of Republicans here and the majority of Republicans back home. And they understand."
He’s also one of the rare few Republicans who have not shied away from confronting former President Donald Trump.
FOX NEWS POLL: ABORTION, ECONOMY, AND BORDER SECURITY ARE TOP DEAL-BREAKERS IN 2024 ELECTIONS
Massie was one of the most vocal surrogates for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ now-defunct presidential primary bid. More recently, he accused Trump of "ridiculous bullying tactics" for calling for a Republican to challenge sitting House Rep. Laurel Lee, R-Fla.
His Tuesday primary victory comes despite millions of dollars spent against him by the American Israeli Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), a bipartisan pro-Israel lobby