Alexandar Sullivan:
A sharp public clash between President Donald Trump and Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky escalated over the holidays, underscoring growing tensions within the Republican Party over transparency and loyalty. The dispute erupted on Christmas Day, when Trump labeled Massie a “lowlife” in a post on his Truth Social platform, criticizing congressional efforts to force the release of federal records tied to the late financier Jeffrey Epstein.
Massie, a co-author of the bipartisan Epstein Files Transparency Act, responded by accusing the president of attacking him for honoring a commitment to “help victims.” In a post on X, the congressman described being blindsided by the president’s remarks during a family holiday, writing that he was targeted for pushing accountability in a case involving child sex trafficking. He then turned the insult into a rallying cry, sharing screenshots of Trump’s post and asking supporters to donate to his reelection campaign.
The response was swift. Within hours, Massie’s campaign reported nearly $3,000 raised from more than 40 donors, some describing the contribution as one of the few Republican donations they had ever made. Massie thanked supporters, calling the backing especially meaningful in the wake of the holiday attack.
The episode highlights a widening rift between the two Republicans. Massie has served in the U.S. House since 2012 and has increasingly challenged Trump, particularly after the administration failed to meet the Dec. 19 deadline to fully release Epstein-related documents. While the Justice Department later acknowledged discovering more than a million additional records, it said processing them could take weeks.
Trump has since endorsed Ed Gallrein, a retired Navy SEAL, to challenge Massie in the 2026 Republican primary, setting the stage for a contentious intraparty battle fueled by questions of transparency, accountability, and political allegiance.
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