President Donald Trump on Thursday night shared internal Republican polling that showed Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., has lost significant support in his district.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump shared screenshots of results from a McLaughlin & Associates poll taken Aug. 10-12 among 500 likely Republican voters from Massie's fourth congressional district, a seat he has held since 2013.
Massie, who has represented Kentucky's 4th Congressional District since November 2012, is renowned for his libertarian principles and insistence on limited government. He has frequently voted no on major GOP-backed spending bills. He was one of two House Republicans to vote against the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, the signature legislation of Trump's second term.
The no vote raised Trump's ire, with the president calling Massie "lazy," "disingenuous," and the "worst Republican congressman."
The poll, which had a margin of error of plus or minus 4.4 percentage points, showed Massie's favorability rating dropped from 54% in June to 43%, while his unfavorability rating rose to 54% from 40%. His overall job approval slipped from 52% to 39%.
It could be the result of an effective advertising blitz launched in Massie's district by MAGA Inc., a pro-Trump super PAC that reportedly spent $800,000 on a TV ad campaign after previously spending $1 million on a previous TV spot attacking Massie.
"MAGA Kentucky's ad campaign has been extremely effective in driving up awareness and influencing voter opinions," the poll stated. The majority (53%) is less likely to vote for Thomas Massie based on what they have seen, read or heard."
The poll showed that Trump's favorability and job approval in Massie's district held steady at 85% and 87%, respectively. In June, 49% disagreed that Massie supported Trump and his policies, with 42% agreeing. In the latest poll, 62% disagreed that Massie supported Trump and his policies, with just 25% agreeing.
"Standing with Democrats and voting against President Trump's tax cuts and policies has put Thomas Massie at odds with the Republican base," the poll stated. "Three-in-five primary voters (57%) would be more likely to vote for a candidate who is endorsed and supported by President Trump."
The poll showed that Massie's "re-elect score decreased from 41% in June to 30%, leaving him a low floor to stand on."
"Incumbents under 40% are considered vulnerable in a primary," the poll stated. "His re-elect score is below 30% among critical primary voter segments, including conservatives (28%), pro-life voters (29%), evangelicals (27%), voters without a bachelor's degree (27%), and seniors (22%)."
Trump has threatened to find a Republican to challenge Massie in the 2026 primary, but whether that is successful remains to be seen. Massie, who endorsed Trump last year, won the 2024 GOP primary with 75.9% of the vote against two challengers, and the general election with 99.6% of the vote, according to Ballotpedia.
In the 2022 GOP primary, he beat three primary challengers with 75.2% of the vote and won the general election with 65%. Since first taking office, Massie has never fallen short of receiving 62% of the vote in the general election.
Newsmax has reached out to Massie's office for comment. But last month, he reportedly said that Trump's threats to back a primary challenger against him next year "is going to backfire tremendously" and that "millions of dollars" will be wasted against him, possibly costing Republicans control of the House.
Michael Katz ✉
Michael Katz is a Newsmax reporter with more than 30 years of experience reporting and editing on news, culture, and politics.
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