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The Republican Who Outsmarted Trump
theatlantic ^ | Apr 26 | By Russell Berman

Posted on 04/26/2026 4:06:08 AM PDT by RandFan

Rep. Thomas Massie, the renegade Kentucky Republican who fiercely guards his political independence, doesn’t love being on President Trump’s bad side. He would prefer not to have the president’s allies spend millions to defeat him in a primary. In fact, if Massie had his way, he’d be working for Trump right now.

In his telling, in the weeks after the 2024 presidential election, the two men talked about Massie, a farmer who champions raw milk, becoming Trump’s agriculture secretary. Massie had formally endorsed Trump late in the campaign, offering to help him win over libertarians who might be tempted to stay home or vote third party in key battlegrounds. Trump had been appreciative, and the two had chatted by phone to hash out the timing of the endorsement announcement. “Just tweet it. I’ll retweet you,” Trump had told him.

The rollout went smoothly, but Massie’s endorsement didn’t get him the job in Trump’s Cabinet. He was recounting this to me in, of all places, a bridal suite inside a converted barn in his northern-Kentucky district. Massie had just delivered remarks to a friendly crowd in the wedding hall downstairs, part of an acrimonious campaign that, if Trump gets his way, will be Massie’s last. The president’s allies are spending big to defeat Massie in a May 19 primary and prop up Ed Gallrein, a Navy SEAL and a political novice whom Trump personally recruited as a challenger. Massie first won election to the House during the pre-Trump Tea Party era and has handily prevailed in competitive primaries before. But he is also aware of Trump’s unique hold on the GOP: When the president decides he wants a Republican out of Congress, he usually gets his wish. Polls have given Massie a lead over Gallrein

(Excerpt) Read more at theatlantic.com ...


TOPICS: Chit/Chat; Conspiracy
KEYWORDS: 123oclock4oclockzot; atlanticlolol; cc; considerthesource; democratnarrative; fino; goptraficant; leftistsource; masshole; me1stamericalast; multiplenicks; postersucks; randpaulsucks; randspam; russellberman; tasteless; theatlantic; theattacktrumprag; traficantwannabe
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To: RandFan

Changing tagline.


101 posted on 04/26/2026 8:34:18 AM PDT by Uncle Miltie (RandFan: An Obvious Plant, though whether Leftist or Vegetal, I can’t be sure.)
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To: ncalburt

Massie is probably on the same foreign payroll as RPaul — which explains their treasonous behavior.


102 posted on 04/26/2026 9:15:22 AM PDT by bobbo666
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To: RandFan

Libertarians and the Trump haters of The Atlantic find romance.


103 posted on 04/26/2026 9:15:52 AM PDT by Pelham (President Eisenhower. Operation Wetback 1953-54)
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To: Biblebelter

Very accurate and well said.


104 posted on 04/26/2026 9:26:51 AM PDT by Pelham (President Eisenhower. Operation Wetback 1953-54)
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To: RandFan

Wonder how many here are gonna call for a war on Kentucky when Massie wins his primary?


105 posted on 04/26/2026 9:35:05 AM PDT by Manuel OKelley
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To: FreeReign

I’m not the one obviously triggered here, mate!


106 posted on 04/26/2026 9:37:40 AM PDT by 9YearLurker
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To: 9YearLurker

Sure. Making the point that The Atlantic is pushing Massie is an “obvious” sign of being triggered.


107 posted on 04/26/2026 9:47:01 AM PDT by FreeReign
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To: RandFan

Not hardly. Masshole will lose his seat. Couldn’t happen to a nicer dicknipple.


108 posted on 04/26/2026 10:02:49 AM PDT by LS ("Castles made of sand, fall in the sea . . . eventually." Jimi Hendrix)
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To: FreeReign

LOL! No even close.

I pointed out a data point. Never called it a “credential”, etc.

Chalk it up to a blind squirrel finding a nut, etc.


109 posted on 04/26/2026 10:09:06 AM PDT by Fury
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To: RandFan

It is a good picture.


110 posted on 04/26/2026 10:25:42 AM PDT by TBP (Decent people cannot fathom the amoral cruelty of the Democrat cult.)
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To: Fury
Chalk it up to a blind squirrel finding a nut, etc.

I agree Atlantic is a blind squirrel.

I don't agree Atlantic found a nut.

I do think Atlantic was early on fed the nut by the Democrat establishment. I for one, give them no "credit" for doing that.

111 posted on 04/26/2026 10:35:50 AM PDT by FreeReign
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To: FreeReign

It’s a data point.

There’s data points from lots of media outlets.

Gather and evaluate, regardless of the source.


112 posted on 04/26/2026 11:06:39 AM PDT by Fury
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To: RandFan

The M is silent in Massie.

He’s a worthless RINO, probably elected through fraud. In fact, I suspect that fraud is huge in Kentucky, given that we have a nearly braindead turtle in the senate who is married to a Chinese commie.


113 posted on 04/26/2026 11:08:10 AM PDT by meyer (We have made it past that awkward stage that Claire Wolfe wrote about.)
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To: LS

Bookmarking for May 19


114 posted on 04/26/2026 11:08:43 AM PDT by Manuel OKelley
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To: RandFan
Massie is a worthless idtio that shouldn't have the (R) next to his name.

He is a Liberaltarian, just like the worthless RandPaul.


Why don't you stick to the troubles on your OWN side of the pond (Briton/U.K.M.-United Kingdom of Muzzies)... You are soon to be run over by all of the muzzies.
115 posted on 04/26/2026 11:33:28 AM PDT by Bikkuri
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To: jmaroneps37

“Massive is not a Republican. He just plays one on tv.”

Most likely to become the next Liz Cheney and give the Democrats cover if they win the House and impeach Trump for the 3rd time.


116 posted on 04/26/2026 10:50:11 PM PDT by rxh4n1
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To: RandFan

Voting for Massie is like voting for no one. Your will get nothing but “no” votes in the House and little else.


117 posted on 04/27/2026 10:24:57 AM PDT by packrat35 (“When discourse ends, violence begins.” – Charlie Kirk, and they killed him anyway)
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To: Pox

If you’re not 100% behind Trump it would be less stressful for both of us if that person were not on this site. Just sayin’


118 posted on 04/28/2026 4:03:03 AM PDT by nikos1121
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To: Manuel OKelley
If Massie wins his primary and Lindsey Graham loses his primary in South Carolina, it will indicate the President is losing his grip on the Republican Party. If the reverse happens, the GOP will remain Trump's party.
119 posted on 04/28/2026 4:08:30 AM PDT by Wallace T.
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To: RandFan

RandFan: “This is not me posting with an agenda.”

Just found the biggest lie told by a Free Republic poster during April.


120 posted on 04/28/2026 9:36:37 AM PDT by Old West Conservative
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