Scoop: Primary challengers circle Thomas Massie after Trump-defying vote

President Trump's political operation has been fielding calls from Republicans interested in waging a primary challenge to Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie, according to a person familiar with the talks.Why it matters: The conversations are evidence that Trump — and his $500 million political apparatus — is actively entertaining the best way to back a primary opponent against Massie, who has drawn Trump's ire for voting against his "one big, beautiful bill.""Massie is about to be in the fight of his life," said Kentucky-based GOP strategist Jake Cox. "Just wait until he sees the money a Trump-backed candidate can raise simply from the President saying their name into a camera or opening up his email list."Two possible primary challengers being mentioned in Kentucky Republican circles are state Sen. Aaron Reed and state Rep. Kimberly Moser.A statewide Kentucky GOP official tells Axios: "Massie has had weak primary opponents in previous cycles and made mincemeat of them, but I think this time is different. Supporting Trump is the No. 1 — and sometimes the only — issue in GOP primaries at the moment."What they're saying: Trump has privately wondered what the point is of having a Republican in Massie's seat if "they're going to vote with Democrats and trash Republicans all the time."Trump's anger boiled on Tuesday, when he told reporters in the Capitol that the congressman should be "voted out of office."The president's political lieutenants piled on. "Some guys just prefer to be in the minority," White House deputy chief of staff James Blair said of Massie on X.When asked during a Thursday briefing whether Trump believed — as well as Rep. Warren Davidson (R-Ohio), who also voted "no" — should be primaried, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt responded: "I believe he does and I believe he does not like to see grandstanders in Congress."The background: Massie and Trump have clashed for years.In 2019, Massie joined House Democrats in opposing Trump's declaration of a national emergency at the southern border.After Massie opposed a COVID relief package in 2020, Trump called on the congressman to be thrown "out of the Republican Party."Massie was one of six House Republicans to endorse Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis over Trump during the 2024 Republican presidential primary.After Massie opposed a Trump-backed government spending bill in March, Trump wrote on Truth Social that the congressman was a "GRANDSTANDER."Behind the scenes: During the transition, Trump privately asked DeSantis for advice on how to deal with Massie."Give him raw milk," DeSantis said, referring to one of Massie's legislative priorities, according to a person briefed on the conversation.The other side: Massie told Axios he was skeptical Trump allies would find a strong candidate to run against him. Massie noted he had easily fended off primary challenges in the last three elections and said his private polling showed him popular in his conservative central Kentucky district."If somebody got in this race and they were a reasonable person, not crazy to run against me, I would call them up and say: 'You know what you should do before you dedicate the next year and a half of your life to getting your a** kicked? You should do a poll,'" Massie said.Massie also said Trump's attacks on him were helping him fundraise, pointing out he had raised $47,000 this week and had a series of donor events lined up in California next week.The congressman's allies say his independent streak endears him to voters.The intrigue: Massie said he spoke to Trump a few weeks before the election and a few weeks after, but not since. After Massie's mother passed away in June 2024, Trump left him a voicemail expressing his condolences, Massie said.During the call after the election, Massie told Trump he would be interested in serving as his agriculture secretary, an idea Trump passed on. "I would have taken it," Massie said.

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Nineteen months of carnage: How Gaza was reduced to rubble and starvation as the world watched

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