Thomas Massie, GOP congressman who broke with Trump, reports strong fundraising

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. Rep. Thomas Massie has stockpiled much than $1.7 cardinal for his re-election bid arsenic the Kentucky Republican gears up to look President Donald Trump's vaunted governmental operation, Massie's run announced Monday.

Massie was 1 of 2 House Republicans to ballot against Donald Trump's monolithic taxation measure and helium said Trump lacked authorization to weaponry atomic sites successful Iran without legislature approval.

Trump aides launched a ace PAC devoted to defeating Massie successful his 2026 primary, the archetypal concerted effort by the president's squad to unseat a sitting subordinate of Congress.

Trump's situation to Massie sent a wide awesome to different Republicans that they transverse the president astatine their peril. But Massie's formidable fundraising volition assistance him combat back. His sprawling territory covers 3 tv markets, making it an costly spot to campaign.

Massie raised conscionable implicit $584,000 betwixt April and June, bringing his full fundraising since the past predetermination supra $1 million, his run reported. The $1.7 cardinal successful his run slope relationship includes wealth near implicit from his palmy 2024 re-election campaign.

The caller PAC, Kentucky MAGA, volition beryllium tally by 2 of Trump’s apical governmental lieutenants, his erstwhile co-campaign manager Chris LaCivita and longtime pollster Tony Fabrizio. They person not yet announced a challenger they volition enactment but anticipation to unify Massie's Republican critics down 1 idiosyncratic to debar splitting the anti-Massie vote.

Elon Musk, a billionaire and one-time Trump ally, suggested he'll enactment Massie.