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Rebel Republican hints at comeback in 2028 after primary defeat

2 hours agoFar Left

Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) signaled he could be considering a political comeback just days after losing his primary election to a President Donald Trump-backed challenger, according to reports on Monday.Massie has been an outspoken critic of Trump and announced in a post on X that he filed paperwork with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) for the 2028 election, The Hill reported."I filed with FEC for the 2028 House race. This allows me to raise funds to continue my political operations supporting my position as a current office holder and as a potential candidate for federal office. I haven’t made a final decision about which office to seek, if I run," Massie wrote.The filing revealed that Massie has selected his Kentucky-based campaign committee as his main committee for 2028, according to The Hill."He also authorized the Transportation Trust Fund to 'receive and expend' funds on his behalf. The Wisconsin-based joint fundraising committee raises money on behalf of the campaign committees of more than 30 House Republicans," The Hill reported.Ed Gallrein won the GOP primary last Tuesday in Kentucky's 4th Congressional District. Trump endorsed Gallrein in the fallout over Massie's push to release the Jeffrey Epstein files, his opposition to the Iran war and the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, among other political differences.Massie supporters started chanting "2028" during his concession speech. "When Massie replied that the crowd wanted him to run for Congress again, his supporters yelled, 'No,' and repeatedly chanted, 'President,' The Hill reported.Massie responded to the chanting, saying "Alright, well you’ve made a compelling argument, you spoke your peace, but I need a medical margarita right now and we’ll talk about it later."

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Trump's close ally 'more isolated than ever' and considering abandoning 2028 run: report

Raw Story

1 hour ago

Trump's close ally 'more isolated than ever' and considering abandoning 2028 run: report

Vice President JD Vance has been put in a tough position and has been considering whether he wants to run for president in 2028 or give up on the move, according to a new report from The Daily Mail published on Monday.With National Intelligence Director Tulsi Gabbard announcing her exit from the Trump administration last week, Vance could be in a more vulnerable position as his "most senior non-interventionist ally is gone." Vance, like Gabbard, had expressed skepticism and concerns about the Iran war behind closed doors, according to insiders."JD Vance, now the lone dove in Donald Trump's cabinet after Tulsi Gabbard's resignation, has been left more isolated than ever and is even considering abandoning a run for the presidency in 2028," sources told The Mail."But the whispers racing through the West Wing find common ground: Iran," The Mail reported.Vance has not confirmed or denied whether he plans to run for president in 2028. And insiders have reported that he opposed the mlitary strikes in Iran, trying to privately urge Trump to limit attacks."Vance's isolation comes at a moment when Marco Rubio's stock inside the West Wing has never been higher, with the Secretary of State helping to plan an invasion of Cuba, while the Vice President flails in peace negotiations with Iran," according to The Mail."The Vice President's dovish brand of foreign policy has set him on a collision course with Trump, the sources say, the rift deepening as Trump embraces his wartime-leader image," The Mail reported.The president has often compared Vance to Secretary of State Marco Rubio — whom both have called personal and professional friends. He has even asked people who they would support to succeed him as commander-in-chief during private and public events."Rubio has more mojo than Vance. The President listens to him. Vance is out of step and has been for a long time," a White House insider told The Mail. "The source cautioned that Rubio's dominance may prove fleeting. By championing an unpopular war effort, the Secretary of State risks burning through political capital in real time and alienating both Trump's base and the wider American public," The Mail added.

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Gavin Newsom quietly takes key step to cementing 2028 bid support from powerhouse Dem

New York Post

3 hours ago

Gavin Newsom quietly takes key step to cementing 2028 bid support from powerhouse Dem

Newsom took a major step to woo Warren when he appointed one of the senator's protégés, Rohit Chopra, to lead a new consumer agency.

Right

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Republicans furious as Trump clumsily torpedoes their secret weapon: 'Killing our chances'

Raw Story

5 hours ago

Republicans furious as Trump clumsily torpedoes their secret weapon: 'Killing our chances'

Donald Trump has been saying nice things about New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani — and Republicans are furious about it.According to a New York Times report on GOP fears ahead of the midterms, Trump has repeatedly praised Mamdani warmly, actively undercutting his own party's efforts to use the democratic socialist mayor as a political boogeyman heading into November.Republicans had been counting on Mamdani as a perfect foil — a democratic socialist running a major American city who could be used to scare suburban voters back into the GOP column. Trump's praise has made that strategy nearly impossible to execute, according to the report.The Times buries the detail in a list of ways Trump has prioritized his own impulses over his party's electoral interests, alongside his pardon of embattled Democratic Rep. Henry Cuellar of Texas — a move that helped one of the Democratic Party's most vulnerable incumbents survive. Both items got a single sentence each in the Times piece.The pattern, according to multiple Republican officials interviewed by the Times, reflects a president whose instincts are increasingly at odds with his party's survival. Most won't say so on the record, afraid of crossing a president with what the Times calls "thin skin and a long memory.""The stupid stuff is killing our chances," said one retiring Republican senator.

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Massie files for 2028 but unsure about which ‘office to seek’

Washington Examiner

7 hours ago

Massie files for 2028 but unsure about which ‘office to seek’

Fresh off his primary defeat, Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) filed paperwork on Monday to run again for his House seat in 2028, though he acknowledged he has not made a “final decision about which office to seek, if I run.” Massie filed the paperwork with the Federal Election Commission to run for Kentucky’s 4th Congressional […]

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Trump enemy’s new electoral filing just made the 2028 race a lot more interesting

Alternet.org

7 hours ago

Trump enemy’s new electoral filing just made the 2028 race a lot more interesting

Last week in the Kentucky GOP primary, Representative Thomas Massie (R-KY) was beaten by MAGA-certified challenger Ed Gallrein in a race that many say re-verified President Donald Trump’s grip on the Republican party, proving once again that his endorsement can make or break candidates depending on their loyalty to him personally. Now Massie — who has drawn Trump’s ire over the course of the past 18 months for his willingness to break with the White House agenda — has filed to run in 2028 for the House seat he just lost, adding new significance to the election that will also choose a new president.In the runup to Massie’s defeat last week, the Kentucky race swelled to become the most expensive primary in history. Trump and his political allies flooded the election with money after the Representative voted against a handful of Trump policies, pushed for the release of the Epstein files, and opposed the war with Iran. The race caused fractures not only throughout the Republican party but within diehard MAGA circles, with former Trump allies like Tucker Carlson and ex-Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene backing Massie, and the Administration along with powerful pro-Israel lobbies coordinating efforts to oppose him. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth raised eyebrows by stumping for Gallrein in the final days of the race, breaking Pentagon neutrality norms. And Representative Lauren Boebert attempted to voice support for both Massie and Trump, prompting a predictable attack from the latter, who immediately suggested she be primaried.The president has frequently used his primary endorsement as a cudgel for keeping Republicans in line, and has proven that he still has a grip on the party, with his candidates consistently beating targeted incumbents on both state and national levels. But many warn that Trump’s short-term wins could mean defeat for the Republicans in the November general election. While the president’s endorsement may be effective within the GOP, that is likely no longer the case in a broader election where candidates depend on independent swing voters. Trump’s approval among swing voters has plunged to historic lows over issues like the war with Iran, the spiraling economy, and many other factors. As a result, voters have expressed an overwhelming desire for Democratic candidates in generic ballots, which has Republicans worried they may lose their majorities in the House and maybe even the Senate. While Massie will leave office at the end of this term, his filing for 2028 suggests he recognizes that while Trump may have power over the party for now, enthusiasm for the president is waning fast.

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Trump's retribution tour has only just begun — as loyal Republicans face a catch-22

Alternet.org

8 hours ago

Trump's retribution tour has only just begun — as loyal Republicans face a catch-22

At the White House congressional picnic on Tuesday evening, as Abba's "Dancing Queen" echoed across a lawn dotted with cornhole games, a ferris wheel, and food stations serving short ribs and apple pie, Donald Trump took time to celebrate a political scalp, according to a new story in The Guardian. Thomas Massie, a Kentucky Republican and persistent critic of the president, had lost his primary race and was conspicuously absent from the festivities. "We won the Massie thing," Trump announced to picnic guests. "He was a bad guy. He deserves to lose."The moment exemplified Trump's ongoing campaign to purge the Republican Party of dissenters, a mission that has accelerated during his second term. Massie became the latest casualty in what observers describe as a revenge tour designed to consolidate Trump's grip on the party and eliminate those he views as insufficiently loyal. Yet this vindictive strategy may carry significant costs, potentially destabilizing the very legislative agenda Trump needs to advance and weakening the Republican coalition heading into November's midterm elections.Massie's defeat in the most expensive congressional primary in history—orchestrated largely through Trump-backed spending against the president's handpicked challenger, former Navy Seal Ed Gallrein—follows a pattern established during Trump's first term. Republicans including Liz Cheney, Adam Kinzinger, and Justin Amash faced similar fates. In Trump's second term, the retribution has intensified. Five Indiana state senators lost their seats after resisting Trump's demands on congressional redistricting. Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana fell to a primary challenge after voting to convict Trump during his second impeachment trial.Massie's particular offense included questioning government spending, challenging Trump's war powers assertions, and pushing for transparency regarding files on convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. In his concession speech, Massie signaled defiance, hinting he would intensify his scrutiny during his remaining congressional tenure, particularly regarding the Epstein Files Transparency Act.The strategic problem for Trump is becoming apparent. By decimating the political careers of Republicans whose primary sin was insufficient loyalty rather than substantive policy disagreement, Trump has created a cadre of legislators with nothing to lose. Cassidy, still serving in the Senate, almost immediately threw his support behind a Democratic war powers resolution forcing Trump to end the Iran war, helping push it through after seven previous failures. Similarly, Senator Thom Tillis and former ally Marjorie Taylor Greene have begun breaking ranks, while Trump continues threatening further retribution against Senators Rand Paul and Lauren Boebert for supporting Massie.With razor-thin majorities in both chambers, Trump paradoxically needs the votes of the very people whose political destruction he orchestrated. Conservative analyst Charlie Sykes observed that Trump's victories benefit the Republican Party rather than undermining Democrats, which should concern strategists. Meanwhile, Trump's national approval rating has plummeted to 37%, while Republicans trail Democrats 39% to 50% on generic congressional ballot polling.Trump's recent endorsement of scandal-plagued Ken Paxton over incumbent Senator John Cornyn in Texas exemplifies the dilemma. The expensive Paxton race would drain resources from crucial battleground states, potentially sacrificing Republican prospects in November for personal loyalty considerations. Republicans find themselves trapped: Trump remains powerful in primary contests but may prove catastrophic in general elections where independent voters have decisively turned against him

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GOP primary chaos erupts as 'unelectable extremist' fires top aide

Alternet.org

8 hours ago

GOP primary chaos erupts as 'unelectable extremist' fires top aide

The Georgia Republican Senate primary was already rife with party infighting, and now tempers are running even higher after election frontrunner Representative Mike Collins (R-GA) was forced to fire a top aide over offensive online behavior. MAGA-backed Collins is currently in a primary runoff against former college football coach Derek Dooley, who has the support of Governor Brian Kemp, who himself has been at odds with President Donald Trump over the past 18 months. To that end, the primary represents yet what many have suggested is an ongoing battle for the GOP, pitting Trump loyalists against more traditional Republicans. But it is also the party’s bid to oppose incumbent Senator John Ossoff (D-GA) in a key state. Georgia has long been safely red until turning purple in recent years, and now conservatives are struggling to bring it more firmly into their camp. Technically, Collins was well ahead of Dooley, winning the first round of the primary by 11 points. But as Punchbowl News reports, “Negative headlines of the past few days opened the door for Dooley to argue that Collins is an unelectable extremist who can’t flip this critical Senate seat.”The latest controversy came on Friday, when Dooley-affiliated GOP strategist Luke Thompson tweeted a poll on X showing that Collins' 11-point lead over Dooley had narrowed from 46 percent to 41 percent in the runoff, saying, “48 hours later and the Collins lead has cut in half. Dooley beats Ossoff. Collins can’t. Not hard to understand.” This is in line with what many strategists have suggested: that MAGA-backed candidates may win primaries within the GOP, but are not poised to do the same in general elections amid Trump’s plummeting approval rating. The Collins campaign, however, replied to Thompson’s tweet with the offensive declaration, “Matt Laurer’s sloppy seconds chiming in to take an L.” As Punchbowl News explains, “Thompson is married to Brooke Nevils, a former NBC News staffer who accused disgraced former anchor Matt Lauer of sexual assault. Lauer has denied the allegations.”Collins then fired his longtime staffer and former chief of staff, Brandon Phillips, saying, “Earlier today, a campaign advisor sent out a despicable and unauthorized twitter comment using a Team Collins campaign account. I want to apologize for this offensive tweet. I have made staffing changes to ensure this type of behavior never happens again.” According to Nevils, Collins also apologized to her personally, but she still questions the ethics underlying the campaign, saying, “I think the bigger question is, why was there a culture that permitted that kind of behavior? This is why people don’t come forward.” “This kind of disgusting behavior does not represent Georgia values — or frankly any values — and is exactly why Mike Collins cannot be our nominee this November,” Dooley declared. “A vote for Collins is a vote for Ossoff.” “The controversy is adding to GOP skepticism about Collins’ ability to beat Ossoff in the general election,” Punchbowl News explains. “Collins is a firmly right-wing member with an unapologetic MAGA brand. While Trump won Georgia in 2024, some Republicans fear that nominating Collins is a recipe for losing the state in a midterm that could favor Democrats.”As Senate Leadership Fund Executive Director Alex Latcham responded to the criticized (and now deleted) post, “Disgusting. If he’s our guy, @MikeCollinsGA has ($) 44 million reasons to get rid of this amateur.”

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These 'very scary numbers for Republicans' have GOP lawmakers quietly panicking: analyst

Raw Story

8 hours ago

These 'very scary numbers for Republicans' have GOP lawmakers quietly panicking: analyst

A new Gallup poll showing economic confidence at its lowest point in nearly four years is sending alarm bells through Republican ranks ahead of the midterms, according to MS NOW's Ali Vitali — and the numbers are bad enough that even the party's most loyal voters are starting to ask questions.Just 16 percent of Americans now rate the economy as excellent or good, according to the poll. Forty-nine percent say it is poor. And 76 percent say economic conditions are getting worse — the highest reading since 2023. Only 20 percent say conditions are improving."Very scary numbers for Republicans," said Morning Joe host Jonathan Lemire, who noted that midterm elections are historically decided on economic issues.Vitali agreed, but said the public optimism coming from Republican leadership masks a very different private conversation. "We are never going to hear the speaker say, gosh, yeah, things really do look bad for us," she said. "Once he starts doing that, the whole ball game is over." But she added that private Republican sentiment tells a different story entirely — one of genuine concern and handwringing.The economic anxiety is being compounded, Vitali said, by the Iran war's direct impact on household budgets, particularly at the gas pump. The average price of gas nationally now stands at around $4.52 per gallon, up from $3.19 a year ago.Making matters worse for Republicans is what Vitali described as a perception problem that could prove fatal in November: voters know Republicans control the White House and both chambers of Congress, and they are going to hold them accountable for kitchen table issues regardless of what the party says caused them.That accountability is made sharper by what happened when Republicans left Washington last week for a weeklong recess without passing their signature reconciliation bill — a measure that was supposed to be straightforward immigration legislation but collapsed under the weight of Trump's demands, including $1 billion for a White House ballroom and $1.8 billion in potential slush fund payments to January 6th rioters."They haven't done a ton with their majorities," Vitali said, noting voters are noticing.The bigger question, she said, is whether key constituencies that swung Republican in 2024 — particularly Hispanic voters in states like Texas — are permanent members of the coalition or swing voters who can be won back. Democrats are already betting on the latter.

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