Rep. Thomas Massie told Fox News Digital on Thursday morning that he had hauled in $261,000 in campaign donations in recent days since President Donald Trump targeted him for ouster for opposing a government-funding measure.
“In less than three days, I’ve received $261,000 through 3,203 individual donations, without sending an email, a text, or a phone call. It’s a fundraising record for me and it’s boosted my current cash on hand north of $1.1 million,” Massie said in a statement.
After Trump took a swing at Massie in a Truth Social post on Monday night, the congressman responded in a tweet on Tuesday by soliciting campaign donations.
“I’ve drawn opponents in my last three primaries who knew they couldn’t run to the right of me, so they ran to the Trump of me,” Massie said in his statement to Fox News Digital on Thursday.
“Overwhelmingly, in each instance, voters in Kentucky rejected them because I have a decade of consistently putting America and my constituents first. None of my opponents received more than 20% of the vote, but that’s because we ran excellent campaigns with the resources needed to win. For instance, my allies and I spent $2,000,000 in my 2020 primary when Trump attacked me for opposing the COVID bailouts. That’s why I’m taking this threat seriously and asking for grassroots donations on X,” Massie noted.
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The amount of money Massie reported raising had climbed since he tweeted on Wednesday that he had reached $205,000.
“I’ve received an amazing outpouring of support since I was attacked for voting No on the Biden-$-level CR. In fact, we just hit $205,000 from 2500 grassroots donors! Can you help me send a ‘huge’ message by reaching $250,000 before the 48 hour mark?” Massie said in a Wednesday post on his @MassieforKY campaign account on X.
In a post earlier on Wednesday, Massie had announced, “Y’all sent $175,000 to my campaign in the last 36 hours! For the first time, my cash on hand is over $1,000,000. It’s a great start, but I’m going to need more if POTUS makes good on his threat to retaliate for my vote. Please help me set a 48hr record,” he said.
When someone on X asked Massie about whether he could use the funds for a Senate campaign, the lawmaker replied, “Yes I could.”
The congressman, who has served in the U.S. House of Representatives for more than a decade, ran a poll on his @RepThomasMassie X account last month asking people whether, if they were him, they would opt to remain in the House, run for U.S. Senate in 2026, or run for governor in 2027.
With the prospect of a partial government shutdown looming, Trump recently pounced on Massie, who had declared his opposition to a government funding proposal.
“HE SHOULD BE PRIMARIED, and I will lead the charge against him,” Trump declared in a Truth Social post on Monday night. “He’s just another GRANDSTANDER, who’s too much trouble, and not worth the fight. He reminds me of Liz Chaney before her historic, record breaking fall (loss!). The people of Kentucky won’t stand for it, just watch. DO I HAVE ANY TAKERS???”
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Massie sought campaign donations when reacting to Trump’s broadside.
“Why don’t more Representatives stand on principle? Because telling the truth can get you in hot water. I’m going to need your help. I will run again because we need at least one person in Congress who won’t cave. Can you show support by contributing now?” Massie said in a Tuesday morning tweet from his campaign account.
Trump targeted Massie again in a post on Tuesday afternoon.
“‘Congressman’ Thomas Massie voted to delay the Debt Ceiling Bill from the Biden Administration to the Trump Administration (from September before the Election, to June after the Election!), without getting anything for this horrendously stupid move — When Republicans could have gotten EVERYTHING they wanted,” Trump asserted.
“He additionally voted to delay the current Budget Disaster from the Biden Administration to the Trump Administration. I was running for Office at the time, doing my thing, and when I heard about this, it was, quite simply, hard to believe — A catastrophic mistake!” the president added.
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“Now, and virtually on every other vote, he’s a very simple, ‘NO.’ He can’t even approve a Continuing Resolution when he approved them many times during his career as a ‘Congressman.’ Thomas Massie is a GRANDSTANDER, and the Great People of Kentucky are going to be watching a very interesting Primary in the not too distant future!”
Massie fired back in a post on X, labeling Trump’s Truth Social post “misleading.”
“This tweet from Trump’s account is very misleading. I never voted for a CR that became law. I did vote for a CR under McCarthy that included an 8% cut to all discretionary spending, but unfortunately that CR did not become law. Do research and you’ll find I’ve been consistent,” Massie tweeted.
Massie was ultimately the only Republican in the House who voted against passing the Trump-backed government funding measure on Tuesday.
Trump later issued another attack against the maverick Republican.
“So Massie can vote for Debt Ceiling AND Budget to be put into the Trump Administration, making them both the Republicans problem and responsibility, but can’t give us a simple Continuing Resolution vote allowing us the time necessary to come up with a “GREAT, BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL??? Republicans only “NO Vote. GRANDSTANDER!” Trump declared in a Truth Social post early on Wednesday.
Trump previously attacked Massie ahead of the lawmaker’s GOP primary in 2020, but Massie went on to decisively win that contest in Kentucky’s 4th Congressional District, earning nearly 81% of the vote, according to the vote totals recorded in Kentucky’s official 2020 primary results.
Trump endorsed Massie shortly before the lawmaker’s 2022 primary.
Massie earned a bit over 75% of the vote in the 2022 Republican primary, with three other candidates splitting the rest of the votes, while the incumbent earned just shy of 76% in the 2024 primary, with two other candidates splitting the rest, the Bluegrass State’s official results indicate.
