Thomas Massie's Defeat Could Come Back to Haunt Trump

A long-time libertarian-leaning Republican congressman with an insurgent streak lost a GOP primary in Kentucky. His record of defying party leadership included pushing against the welfare state, but later he used his rebelliousness to support causes such as releasing Epstein files and criticizing the Iran War. In the current GOP environment, open opposition to Donald Trump is difficult, and Trump prioritized removing him in the midterms. A pro-Israel lobby group also backed a replacement candidate who promised to follow party lines. Combined support from Trump and major donors helped the challenger win decisively in a historically expensive primary.

"Ever since he joined Congress in 2012, I've probably disagreed with Representative Thomas Massie at least 90 percent of the time. But I can't help but feel that his defeat in the GOP primary for his Kentucky congressional district on Tuesday night was both a tragedy and a travesty. Massie has always had an insurgent streak. He joined national politics as a Tea Party Republican, strongly affiliated with the Rand-and-Ron-Paul libertarian wing that so unnerved the GOP establishment. Ever since, he's shown a consistent willingness to buck his party."

"Often, this defiance has been in service of bad ideas, such as trying to push Republicans to be even more opposed to the welfare state. But in Trump's second term in office, Massie has put his rebelliousness to good use. He has emerged as a major thorn in the president's side, playing a key role in pushing for the release of the Epstein files and being one of the few Republicans who is an outspoken critic of the Iran War."

"Unfortunately for Massie, open opponents of Donald Trump rarely survive long in today's GOP, which has made fealty to the president its overriding principle. Trump made removing Massie from Congress a key priority in this year's midterms. So did AIPAC, the pro-Israel lobby group opposed to his anti-war politics. Trump and AIPAC threw their support behind Ed Gallrein, a Navy SEAL who promised to toe the party line."

"The combined forces of Trump and AIPAC proved insurmountable, even though Massie was well-liked by Republican voters. Because of the involvement of AIPAC and other pro-Israel donors, this primary was the most expensive in American history, with at least $32 million spent. Massie ultimately lost in a landslide; while votes are still being tabulated, early results suggest Gallrein won by 55 percent to Massie's 45 percent."

Read at The Nation