MTG backs Rep. Massie against Trump’s effort to oust him, warns of influence of pro-Israel donors

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene warns that a defeat of Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky led by President Trump and a coalition of pro-Israel donors in next year’s Republican primary would send a chilling message about the state of the country and the direction of the MAGA movement.

Mr. Trump’s political team this summer launched a super PAC called MAGA KY, which has aired ads calling on voters to fire Mr. Massie, who has drawn a Trump-endorsed primary challenger.

The PAC has received at least $2 million from prominent pro-Israel donors, including hedge fund manager Paul Singer, Miriam Adelson’s Preserve America PAC, and investor John Paulson.

Appearing on The Tucker Carlson Show, Ms. Greene, a vocal Trump ally, defended Mr. Massie, citing his popularity in northern Kentucky’s 4th congressional district and his consistent support for MAGA-aligned principles.

She predicted he would survive the primary and the “lies” being spread about him, saying a victory would be “a big FU” to political consultants profiting from the effort and to billionaire donors “who don’t even live in his state or district.”

But Ms. Greene warned that if Mr. Massie loses, “Then our country is gone.”

“If billionaire donors that literally put another country, another foreign country, before our own, are able to buy a congressional seat, then the American people completely lose representation,” Ms. Greene said.

Mr. Carlson, also a Trump supporter, echoed her concerns, questioning why Mr. Trump and his allies are piling on Mr. Massie while supporting lawmakers who are less aligned with MAGA ideals.

“I don’t think there are many people in the country who live out Donald Trump’s own stated principles more precisely than Thomas Massie does,” Mr. Carlson said. “What the hell is going on that he is a target, but [South Carolina Sen.] Lindsey Graham has an endorsement? If Lindsey Graham continues to get elected, then this whole MAGA thing is totally fake.”

Serving Georgia’s 14th congressional district since riding into office as a MAGA warrior in 2021, Ms. Greene has voiced mounting frustration with the Republican Party’s current trajectory.

She criticizes its leadership for being “tone deaf” to the economic anxieties of everyday Americans, and for not being more aggressive with its legislative power.

She pointed to the rising cost of living, the influence of the Israel lobby, the reluctance to release the files of the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, and the continued flow of taxpayer dollars to foreign aid, such as the recent $20 billion bailout of Argentina, as emblematic of the disconnect between GOP priorities and voters’ concerns.

“I get to tell the truth because when the MAGA train left the station, I was on the entire time, and then when everybody bailed and jumped off, I got out and I helped push it up the [expletive] mountain,” she said.

Ms. Greene said voters entrusted Republicans with control of Congress to advance the MAGA agenda and deliver on their promises.

“It’s like—get the job done,” she said.

Mr. Massie is cheering on Ms. Greene, telling The Washington Times this week, “She’s calling it as she sees it, and frankly as America sees it too.”

For his part, Mr. Massie, first elected in 2012, has fallen out of favor with Mr. Trump after voting against the “One Big, Beautiful Bill Act,” citing concerns about the national debt and inflation. He is also leading a bipartisan effort to release all government files related to Epstein.

A longtime critic of foreign aid and military intervention, Mr. Massie opposed the Trump administration’s airstrikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities earlier this year, calling it unconstitutional. He has also spoken out against additional U.S. funding for Israel, arguing that taxpayer dollars should be prioritized for domestic needs.

Mr. Trump has responded by urging his followers to “drop this pathetic LOSER, Tom Massie, like the plague!” in the primary next year. In a more recent post on Truth Social, Mr. Trump called Mr. Massie a “Weak and Pathetic RINO” and threw his support behind Ed Gallrein, days before the former Navy SEAL announced a primary challenge against the incumbent.

“This is Trump Country – but Thomas Massie is blocking the President’s agenda. I’ll stand shoulder to shoulder with Trump and deliver for KY,” Mr. Gallrein wrote on X.

Despite the attacks, Mr. Massie recently reported the most successful fundraising quarter of his career, raising more than $768,000 in the past three months.

Stressing that she loves both Mr. Trump and Mr. Massie, Ms. Greene expressed hope they could squash their beef.

“If those two men actually could come together, our America First agenda would be unstoppable because Thomas Massie doesn’t waver in Congress and Donald Trump never wavers in the Oval Office,” she said. “That would be something that I would love to see happen.”

Ms. Greene said that would be a far better scenario than having “three big rich donors that hate” Mr. Massie because he does not blindly support funding for Israel.

“Why is a Republican attacking a Republican? None of this should be happening,” she said. “If they came together, I think it would be an unstoppable force.”