There’s a movement growing under the MAGA tent. It takes the U.S. Constitution more seriously than President Donald Trump does, and seeks a return to limited government. The movement’s emerging leader is Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.).
On Saturday, Massie hosted a party to celebrate the launch of his campaign headquarters in Florence, Kentucky. The event drew a throng of excited constituents, state legislators with similar values, and even people from outside the congressman’s district, some of whom traveled from neighboring states. The state legislators who attended the event included Reps. T.J. Roberts, Steven Doan, and Savannah Maddox.
Laughing, Cheering, Booing
People laughed, cheered, and booed as Massie rolled through a series of stories about his adventures on Capitol Hill.
They cheered when he told the crowd he hoped they were all carrying firearms; he joked that if anyone was foolish enough “to try anything” in that crowd they wouldn’t get very far. They cheered when he decried federal beef regulations and advocated for raw milk. And they cheered extra loudly when he started talking about the Epstein Files Transparency Act that he helped make into law almost single-handedly. And they laughed when Massie did an impression of Trump telling him he’s backing his primary opponent and that he’s going to lose. They also laughed when he said that it was permissible to discuss Attorney General Pam Bondi’s disastrous congressional hearing since the Dow had closed below 50,000 points the previous day. But they booed whenever he mentioned someone the crowd didn’t like, which included FBI Director Kash Patel and former FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino.
During his speech, Massie also touched on his recent opposition to Trump’s glyphosate executive order, which you can read more about here, and emphasized the need for national constitutional-carry laws, which drew raucous applause.
After his speech, he took pictures with everyone who wanted one — which was almost everyone attending.
Constituents Value Constitutional Fidelity
The limited venue hosted as many people as physically possible, most of whom huddled under a tent that was set up specifically for the event. The surrounding parking lot was exhausted, with vehicles parked on the grass, near curbs, and in other parking spaces people invented. Even the nearby restaurant had no available parking, despite its empty dining hall. The excitement surrounding Massie’s campaign and the constitutional values he represents was palpable.
Saturday’s event illustrated why the voters of Congressional House District 4 reelected Massie six times. He commands the loyalty of a constituency that considers him one of the few people on Capitol Hill who delivers on his promises and sticks to his principles no matter what. Kentuckians are spoiled in this respect, because they also have a stubborn senator in Rand Paul in the same constitutionally adherent vein. Massie reminded the crowd they were part of a growing movement that values limited government, a return to state supremacy, fiscal restraint, and more liberty.
Facing an Establishment Opponent
Massie will be working overtime over the coming weeks. He is facing an opponent in May’s Republican primary who is endorsed by Trump and backed by neocon out-of-state billionaires including John Paulson, Paul Singer, and Miriam Adelson. The president wants Massie fired and replaced with someone who will choose party over principle. Ed Gallrein, a former Navy SEAL who subscribes to Trump’s interventionist foreign policy, wants Massie’s seat. He ran for state office in 2024 but lost to another SEAL. Nevertheless, he is expected to produce Massie’s toughest contest since the constituents of District 4 first elected him more than a decade ago.
But judging by the excitement surrounding his campaign, it would not be surprising if Massie easily wins in May. During Saturday’s speech, the congressman revealed, against the wishes of his consultants, that campaign polling has him ahead by 17 points. But he cautioned supporters not to get too comfortable. Gallrein’s PAC is pouring millions into his coffers. All that is expected to be converted into a deluge of attacks that will intensify as voting day nears.
May’s primary is a bellwether contest that will reveal if there’s a limit to Trump’s power over Republicans. It will signal whether there’s any room for dissent within the Republican Party. And it will hint at how strong this growing liberty movement is. For more on Massie’s upcoming primary, read “Trumpism vs. Americanism: Will Massie Prevail in 2026?”
