For Massie’s supporters, it’s evidence of the congressman’s willingness to fight for his principles, consequences be damned.
“He’s one of the most consistent congressmen,” said Rex Morgan, who attended a Massie meet-and-greet at a coffee shop in Shelbyville, near Louisville. “And even if it were to cost him his job, he will not go back on his word.”
For his detractors, his intransigence is the political vanity of a man enamoured with his maverick reputation.
“He takes pride in opposing Trump, so that he can get all those interviews and stuff like that,” said Allen Volz, who lives in the Kentucky suburbs south of Cincinnati and serves as vice-chair of the Boone County Republican Party.
“It’s not that you have to agree on every single issue, but at a certain point you’ve got to look at the big picture and say, how can we move this ball forward?”
If Republicans had a comfortable majority in the House of Representatives, as they did when Massie was first elected to the chamber in 2012, such apostacy might be considered a quirky annoyance. But with his party holding power by the narrowest of margins during Trump’s second term, the Kentuckian has become a constant headache – delaying or outright derailing Trump’s congressional agenda.
“I just can’t stand this guy,” Trump said at a Kentucky rally with Gallrein in March. “We’ve got to get rid of this loser.”
On Tuesday, that day of reckoning may arrive. If Massie loses, he would become just the latest in a long line of Republicans who crossed Trump and were subsequently vanquished – by resignation, forced retirement or defeat in Republican primaries.
If Massie survives to face a Democrat in November, however, it could serve as a sign that Trump’s power over his party is not limitless. It could stiffen the spines of other congressional Republicans who may be seeking to distance themselves from a president who, while still beloved by many in his party, has sagging overall approval ratings that could be a liability during a general election campaign.
“This race has come down to a Trump versus Massie dynamic,” said Shane Noem, chair of the Kenton County Republican Committee. “It’s a ‘pick a side’ moment for a lot of voters.”
