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Donald Trump, Thomas Massie, and the Long, Slow Death of the Tea Party
Reason ^ | May 18,2026 | Nick Gillespie

Posted on 05/19/2026 6:44:54 AM PDT by GrootheWanderer

But if Massie loses, it's not just the end of his career. (He told Mangu-Ward that if GOP primary voters send him packing, he's going back to his plow and "nobody will ever hear from me again"). It would also effectively be the end of what used to be called the Tea Party, a loose conglomeration of Republican representatives and senators who rode a wave of anti-Barack Obama and anti-George W. Bush sentiment to office in the early 2010s.

Although some said that the tea in Tea Party stood for the "taxed-enough already," the rallying cry of the early Tea Party movement was "stop the spending." For a brief, shining moment, the populist right was fully in favor of actually reducing government spending across the board, full stop.

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


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; News/Current Events; Philosophy; US: Kentucky
KEYWORDS: antifaonfr; antisemitism; assistantdemocrat; assistantdemocrats; bloggers; concerntroll; concerntrolling; conservatism; constitution; gopestablishment; groothetdspos; groothetdstroll; groothetroll; massie; massieisnotmaga; massieisnotteaparty; nickgillespie; randspam; rino; rop; tds; tdstroll; teaparty; trump; uniparty; unreasonable; zotgroo
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"A movement that cannot tolerate a Thomas Massie has become exactly what its critics say it is — a personality cult with principles grafted on after the fact."
1 posted on 05/19/2026 6:44:54 AM PDT by GrootheWanderer
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To: GrootheWanderer

The RINO’s put an end to the Tea Party a decade ago.

That’s how we got Trump.


2 posted on 05/19/2026 6:46:03 AM PDT by Tanniker Smith (Rome didn't fall in a day, either)
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To: Tanniker Smith

There’s more truth in that statement than you realize...


3 posted on 05/19/2026 6:50:09 AM PDT by Segovia (https://townhall.com/columnists/kevinmccullough/2025/07/06/fossil-fooled-lives-vs-lies-n2659950)
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To: GrootheWanderer

Massie’s personality warped not the Tea Party. Trump delivered on the Tea Party agenda. Massie is a Swalwell clone who was totally ineffective.


4 posted on 05/19/2026 6:50:15 AM PDT by DeplorablePaul
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To: GrootheWanderer

You’re against ICE?


5 posted on 05/19/2026 6:50:26 AM PDT by lasereye ( )
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To: GrootheWanderer

Tea party is stronger than ever. Massie lies

Reason wants to join in

It’s why I do not like to trust libertarians.

Mark levin references the tea party constantly. That is what is throwing massie out.


6 posted on 05/19/2026 6:52:49 AM PDT by lonestar67 (America is exceptional)
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To: DeplorablePaul

Well not so much as most of what Trump has done will be wiped out when the next President takes over.


7 posted on 05/19/2026 6:53:50 AM PDT by dpetty121263
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To: GrootheWanderer

The “Taxed Enough Already” was not a suggestion. That was the basis for the name of the original group. This story makes it sound like it was an afterthought.

I love how “journalists” try to spin the stories based on their own bias.


8 posted on 05/19/2026 6:54:54 AM PDT by Vermont Lt
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To: Tanniker Smith

Very true. The Tea Party was used by the GOP. But the Tea Party stood for something in addition to spending limits. It stood for LIBERTY. It stood for smaller govt. It stood for adherence to the Constitution. It was used,and abused by the likes of Boehner and Ryan. To this day when someone asks if I’m MAGA, I answer No. I’m Tea Party.


9 posted on 05/19/2026 6:57:46 AM PDT by xkaydet65
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To: GrootheWanderer
There are some great points in this piece, but the author overlooks something that hasn’t gotten a lot of attention in Massie’s ongoing primary circus.

I believe Massie completely destroyed his MAGA credibility when he made that bizarre decision to endorse Ron DeSantis in his pathetic primary challenge to Trump back in 2023. RDS was nothing more than a stooge of establishment GOP players who were aghast at the idea that Trump might actually win again in 2024.

The irony is that Massie might very well lose his primary today to the exact same kind of establishment clown he was supporting in 2023.

10 posted on 05/19/2026 6:59:02 AM PDT by Alberta's Child (If I leave here, it’s because I’m tired of arguing with geriatric parrots wearing MAGA hats.)
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To: GrootheWanderer

I still consider myself a Tea Partier.


11 posted on 05/19/2026 6:59:54 AM PDT by Texas Eagle (If it wasn't for double-standards, Liberals would have no standards at all. )
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To: lonestar67

Tea party is stronger than ever.

- - - - - - -

The trajectory of government spending contradicts that.


12 posted on 05/19/2026 7:03:33 AM PDT by TTFX
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To: Texas Eagle

I remember Santelli’s rant heard ‘round the world.

The tea party has embraced MAGA.

The president embodies MAGA.

MAGA will still be here after the president leaves office.

It’s that last fact that scares the excrement outta Deep State.


13 posted on 05/19/2026 7:03:38 AM PDT by mewzilla (Swing away, Mr. President, swing away! 🇺🇸 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿)
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To: TTFX

Also, not even the easy goals of the Tea Party have been accomplished, such as eliminating the Department of Education.


14 posted on 05/19/2026 7:05:07 AM PDT by TTFX
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To: GrootheWanderer

Real ignorance displayed by this writer.
The Tea Party was definitely NOT “. . . a loose conglomeration of Republican representatives and senators.”

It was a coming together of plain ordinary citizens, a totally grass roots effort. Elected officials were not a part of it, save for those who agreed with the grass roots efforts. In fact, the Tea Party targets were not just the Obama democrats, but also a lot of establishment Republicans, the uniparty people who were in concert with the democrats.


15 posted on 05/19/2026 7:05:11 AM PDT by oldbill
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To: Tanniker Smith

The article is BS. Massie is no more a champion of the Tea Party movement than that little weasel Schiff whom Massie protected.


16 posted on 05/19/2026 7:05:28 AM PDT by iamgalt ( )
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To: mewzilla

From 17 years ago and the father of the modern American tea party. About 5 minutes of history being made...

https://youtu.be/zp-Jw-5Kx8k?si=AuJhe6W4DAXXzb3A


17 posted on 05/19/2026 7:06:03 AM PDT by mewzilla (Swing away, Mr. President, swing away! 🇺🇸 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿)
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To: Segovia

What a load, Massie is a back stabbing traitor.


18 posted on 05/19/2026 7:07:45 AM PDT by gibsonguy
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To: GrootheWanderer

If you’ve been in Congress during they spied on my campaign, two hoax impeachments, Wuhan Coup flu stolen election, targeted lawfare, and also every resistance to the Trump agenda since, you are riding a long train of abuses and usurpations that Americans voted to derail and obliterate..


19 posted on 05/19/2026 7:07:54 AM PDT by delchiante
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To: xkaydet65

You can sign me up to your side.


20 posted on 05/19/2026 7:08:37 AM PDT by Segovia (https://townhall.com/columnists/kevinmccullough/2025/07/06/fossil-fooled-lives-vs-lies-n2659950)
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