Thomas Massie Fight Exposes Growing Republican Divide Over Trump Loyalty, Spending, and Party Control
By Rob Kendall · May 20, 2026
The escalating political battle surrounding Congressman Thomas Massie is exposing deeper fractures inside the Republican Party over debt, spending, Epstein transparency, and absolute loyalty to Donald Trump. Critics argue the GOP is increasingly punishing independent conservatives while rewarding political obedience, raising larger questions about the future identity of the Republican Party heading into the next election cycle.
I want to read you this quote. It was in the article in The Hill from Donald Trump’s or the White House’s communications director, "Do not ever doubt President Trump and his political power. F around and find out."
That was the quote from the White House spokesperson, f around and find out. And my question to that was what did Thomas Massie f around with? Like, when you think of Thomas Massie’s positions and we talked about this at length the other day, what was he? He’s anti-tax. He’s anti-debt, he’s anti-inflation, he’s pro transparency. He’s pro government should pay their bills, not leave it to future generations. He was pro victim in the Jeffrey Epstein case. He was pro public in the Jeffrey Epstein case. The public has more information, infinitely more information than they would have had otherwise because of Thomas Massie.
Thomas Massie Becomes Central Figure in Republican Debate Over Trump Loyalty and Independent Thought
How is any of that? Many of those things which are in direct alliance with the espoused platform of the Republican Party. How is any of that effing around? And what did we as a public find out? Like, what was Thomas Massie’s great sin? This is what no one wants to answer. Well, he was difficult. Well, he wasn’t a team player. Well, he defied the president. Well, the oath of office isn’t to the president. You’re not elected to serve the president. You’re elected to do what you think is best and right for the country and for the citizens you represent.
And I just like, I kept coming back to that quote, f around and find out. Thomas Massie wasn’t some super liberal. Thomas Massie wasn’t some big spender or, I mean, I guess he teamed up with the Democrats to the extent on things like Epstein. I guess he voted against the big, beautiful bill because of all the debt, all the spending, all the unaccountable government.
And again, you know, I’ve talked with you guys about this. I’ve talked to numerous people, accountants, people in the financial world. I had a conversation over the weekend with a guy who works for a very large financial institution in this country, and I asked him, I said, did this bill, did this big, beautiful bill, is it helping the people you do business with? And he looked right at me and he goes, that bill helped the very tippy top of the food chain. He said, my rank and file clientele, nothing. Which matches up with exactly what my accountant and other accounts and financial people have told me. In certain industries, very select industries, regular people are going to get a benefit. Most people, nothing. Most people, status quo. The tippy top people, great.
Like when you keep hearing this from all these separate people who, by the way, don’t know each other, and they’re all Republicans, these people that I’ve been talking to. These are not like radical left people. Then I’m going to take their word for it that, hey, this bill didn’t really help a lot of Americans. Didn’t really enhance, give benefit, extra benefit to a whole lot of Americans. It did some. There’s no doubt to some extent. But the average regular person, no. The tippy top people, yes. Thomas Massie voted against that. I guess that would make him voting with the Democrats. Is that effing around?
To me, that’s what a representative should be doing. And so, you know, I’m thinking about this and then I keep coming back to that quote. And I realize we are now in an era of complete subserviency. That’s what the Republican Party is. And I suppose if you love Trump, you’re thrilled about that, I guess. I don’t know, that’s kind of weird to me that we’re in a world where your political career inside the Republican Party is based on complete subserviency, where anything less than absolutely 100% submission and voting fealty, you’ll be taken out.
Is that what the Republican Party is and is proud of? Now, look, one of the things that is different now because there was always, always has been with both parties, some level of deference to the choices of the president, to the priorities of the president. It doesn’t mean that every rep or senator was in lockstep with the president. Happens all the time, or that doesn’t work out. But by and large, there is always some level of deference to the president, whatever party you’re in. But I never remember complete submission, a subserviency, fealty like is being demanded now.
Critics Question Whether Republican Party Now Demands Complete Political Submission
And one of the things that is very different about Trump is because of his ability to attract a crowd, because of his ability to draw attention, because of his ability to have influence. Like he just consumes everything he is involved in, for better or worse. He has attracted a large group of people who, some of them, I think maybe are naive to it, but many of them are doing it intentionally. They want to be stars in whatever orbit they’re in. A lot of these people, they want to be internet influencers. A lot of these people, they want to elevate inside the political orbit, for lack of a better term. And they recognize that the fastest way to do that is essentially like proving your worth. Show us what you can do. In some strange ways, it’s almost like joining the mafia, right? Like there’s layers to it. There’s ways to elevate.
And what you’re seeing in these primaries is, okay, you have a president who demands these things, these things being the complete subserviency, but then you have all of these people who desire something for themselves, who have recognized, because of Trump’s intense power and influence over a group of people, and many of them now are in the digital or internet media orbit, that not only do you get the president bringing his wrath, but then you bring all of these other people into the equation, who will go out, who will knock on doors, who will do internet, I don’t know, internet badgering. I don’t know what the word is on it. But now any person that Trump deems an undesirable, and Trump’s deeming of the undesirable is based on whether they always do what he wants.
Look at Lauren Boebert. Guys, don’t take my word for it. Lauren Boebert is one of the most loyal, reliable Trump supporters and voters in the entire U.S. Congress. She has been a cheerleader through and through. She’s been a partner. Everything she said, hey, I love Trump. Also like Massie. Massie’s been good for our country. So, hey, we’re America, we’re free people. We should have reasonable disagreements. And I love Trump, and I’m going to keep fighting for Trump. I’m going to go out here and campaign for my friend who I think has been good for the country. Nothing bad about Trump. Even the endorsement of Massie was all about how great Trump is. What did he do? He turned on her. He said, I don’t care that I’ve endorsed her. If someone wants to primary her or someone wants to run against her, let me know. I’ll endorse you.
Trump Influence and Digital Political Culture Intensify Pressure on Republican Lawmakers
Guys, if we’re being honest with ourselves, that’s horrible. That’s awful. I mean, it’s manipulative. It’s abusive. Like, if you ever think for yourself, like, imagine if you had a friend or a boss or whatever who was like, if you ever think for yourself, we’re done. Like you’ve done all these great things for me. You’ve let me into your home. We go places together, we do things together. You’ve supported my business. But if you ever go against me on anything, you’re done. Would you want to be friends with that person? Would you want to hang out with that person? Would you want to help that person?
Guys, that feels like that’s where we are with the Republican Party, where a whole bunch of people have recognized my own personal key to elevation is getting around Trump, no matter what it is. And so in the case of Massie, you saw collectively close to $20 million, more than $20 million spent to get this guy out of Congress. So the first question I have is, what did that accomplish? Like for all the people celebrating Massie leaving? What did you win?
Over the last year and a half, what vote did Massie cast as the deciding vote that you would say this didn’t work out the way Trump wanted it to? Other than Epstein, what? In what cases was Massie the deciding vote? You go, my God, the Republic has tanked because of it. I mean, if you want to say loud and proud, I’m mad that information about Epstein got released. Go ahead. That’s the only major thing that I can think of that Massie went against Trump on and Trump didn’t get his way. Massie voted against the bill, the spending bill, the big beautiful bill. It still passed.
It’s like we’re always in victim mentality with Trump and the Republicans. They control everything. They have the House. They have the Senate. They have the presidency. They have the Supreme Court. You’re in charge.
This is the question I ask to every person who’s like, thank God they got rid of Massie. What did you win last night? What was the big score for you? What was the big victory for you? And do you honestly feel good about being a part of a party, being in a world where Thomas Massie is public enemy number one and Lindsey Graham is a hero? Really?
I mean, that’s where we’re at now. That’s the reality check everyone should be doing. That’s the thing everyone should be asking themselves. Do you really feel good about the position of a party in which Thomas Massie became public enemy number one, and Lindsey Graham is a hero? Because all we hear now is how great Lindsey Graham is. All the spending, sending other people’s kids to fight and die in foreign lands, the irresponsible government, the printing of money, the aligning all the years and times Lindsey Graham stabbed Republicans in the back, lined up with the Democrats. That’s the Republican Party now. Lindsey Graham is a hero. Thomas Massie is public enemy number one.
And again, I come back to in the past year and a half, what has Trump not gotten that he wanted, that Massie caused him to not get the thing other than the Epstein files to be released? And why would any reasonable person be mad that that happened when Trump literally campaigned on it?
I said this last night before the votes were tallied in the Massie race. And the more I think about it, the more I think it’s accurate and it’s going to lead us into our next segment. I think the best thing for our country right now and for the Republican Party is for as many Trump endorsed candidates in Republican primaries as possible to win.
And by the way, isn’t it bizarre? Like they act like all of these Trump victories or these Trump endorsed candidates winning, like they’ve somehow won the election? Like the media always doubts Trump and he proves them wrong again. What media doubted that Trump could win in Republican primaries? Wouldn’t that be weird if the president of the United States couldn’t deliver in Republican primaries? Like, what would that say if the president, guys, he’s the president. He’s the most powerful man in the world. If the most powerful man in the world can’t deliver in primaries of his own party, what would that say about him? I don’t think most people have doubted collectively that Trump can and should be able to deliver, just like Bush could deliver, or you would expect them to deliver, or Obama was able to deliver. But that’s in their primaries. We’re talking about primaries right now. Ain’t nobody won anything this fall.
Upcoming Elections Could Reveal How General Election Voters Truly Feel About Trump’s Agenda
But I think this, and I really believe this. I was thinking about this a lot last night and yesterday afternoon as I was sitting there fuming and putting my garage door back together to some level of decency and structure. The best thing for our country is for all of these Trump endorsed candidates to win in the Congressional and Senate primaries because then this fall, we get a real idea of what the country actually thinks about Trump. Because it also means Trump will be out more campaigning for these people.
And that will bring us to our next segment, which is I really believe it seems like there’s two alternate universes and they’re moving at their own, like they’re moving parallel to each other. And at some point, like it’s like two trains that are moving on separate tracks and somebody’s going to move the track. And these two universes in which nobody knows that the people on one train don’t know the other train exists except the people on the other train know the one train exists. And at some point they’re going to move those tracks to where those two trains are going to collide together.
Back to transcripts