Here’s another thing you never see in any normal Republican administration, a sitting president who is hellbent on getting rid of a Republican congressman. Who would do that and why? The answer is Donald Trump and the why is complicated. The best guess you’ll get is that Trump vastly prefers to get rid of anybody he doesn’t like, as opposed to being a team player and keeping all of the sitting congress members in their seats, regardless of personal feelings. Trump’s takedown is vicious and childish, as is the *man* himself.
Trump posted a rambling manifesto against Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY), a libertarian-leaning Republican lawmaker who has gained a reputation as something of a rebel within the caucus, often defying Trump’s more authoritarian impulses and bucking the party on various spending items.
“Third Rate Congressman Thomas Massie, a Weak and Pathetic RINO from the Great Commonwealth of Kentucky, a place I love, and won big SIX TIMES, must be thrown out of office, ASAP!” wrote Trump. “The incredible people of Kentucky’s 4th Congressional District gave us a mandate to, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN, and the person that will help us do that is Navy SEAL, Army Ranger, and Fifth Generation Kentucky Farmer, Captain Ed Gallrein, a true America First Patriot.”
Trump then went into a lengthy laundry list of praise for Gallrein, saying that he “knows how to Create GREAT Jobs, Cut Taxes and Regulations, Promote MADE IN THE U.S.A., Support our Amazing Farmers and American Agriculture, Unleash American Energy Dominance, and Champion our Nation’s Golden Age.”
“Captain Ed Gallrein has my Complete and Total Endorsement against Massie, who is now polling at about 9% because the Great People of Kentucky are wise to him — He only votes against the Republican Party, making life very easy for the Radical Left,” wrote Trump. “Unlike ‘lightweight’ Massie, a totally ineffective LOSER who has failed us so badly, CAPTAIN ED GALLREIN IS A WINNER WHO WILL NOT LET YOU DOWN!”
This is not the first time Trump has gone out of his way to target Massie. Last month, he proclaimed the congressman should be “thrown out of office” and once again told voters to back Gallrein over him.
Rand Paul has said that he will back Massie. Yes, we live in an era where Rand Paul is the voice of reason, just as Lindsey Graham is Trump’s passive lapdog, who calls Trump the “best president, ever.” I often wonder if John McCain looks down on all this madness from some big Senate chamber in the sky and shakes his head in disbelief at these U-turns, as do we.
Trump clearly believes he is the kingmaker, you play ball with him or you don’t play ball. Maybe he’s right. Or, maybe Trump is going to find out that voters have a different perspective on Trump and his reign. In theory, at least, Massie has a lot more shelf life in him than does Trump. Massie has also been on the scene a lot longer than Trump has, having served in the House since 2012.
Massie may outlast Trump. And that may be a bitter pill for Trump to swallow. Let’s hope it’s the size of a horse vitamin.
I’m curious but how did Drumpf win Kentucky “six times” when he’s only run in THREE presidential elections? Is he including primaries? (As I recall, Drumpf basically demanded that there be NO Republican primaries in 2020 but, at the same time, in Kentucky–per Wiki–he ran unopposed for the GOP primary so there really was NOT anything for Drumpf to claim as a “win.”)
Silly question. When have the facts ever kept a Drumpfian statement accurate?????