The reelection campaign for Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., dismissed a poll that President Donald Trump posted on social media Thursday night that showed Massie has lost significant support in his district, saying "it does not reflect reality."
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 and won by wide margins in every election.
Trump has been butting heads with Massie since returning to the White House. Massie, renowned for his libertarian principles and insistence on limited government, voted no against aid to Israel, citing his non-interventionist stance against foreign entanglements, and the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, the signature legislation of Trump's second term.
Massie also sharply criticized Trump for bombing Iran's nuclear facilities, and for not releasing all documents related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
"This poll does not reflect reality in Kentucky's fourth district," a Massie campaign spokesperson said Friday in a statement to Newsmax. "The fact that every serious would-be opponent has rejected their recruiting efforts demonstrates this. They've been searching for months and still can't find anyone gullible enough to put their name on the ballot.
"The pollster also has a history of not being in touch with reality, like the time he had former House Majority Leader Eric Cantor with a 34-point lead before he lost by 11, a 45-point miss. He is well-known for bad results and has been used by Trump's team in the past but may not be their primary pollster for 2024."
The poll, which had a margin of error of 4.4 percentage points, showed Massie's favorability rating dropped from 54% in McLaughlin's June poll to 43%, while his unfavorable rating rose to 54% from 40%. His overall job approval slipped from 52% to 39%.
The poll suggested it could be the result of an effective advertising blitz launched in Massie's district by a Trump-aligned super PAC led by Chris LaCivita and Tony Fabrizio. This PAC, funded mostly by billionaire donors Paul Singer, John Paulson, and Miriam Adelson, has raised about $2 million and spent more than $1 million on TV ads attacking Massie.
Massie's campaign labeled Singer, Paulson, and Adelson as "socially liberal globalist billionaires." They alleged one is listed in Epstein's contact book — and made other accusations (donations to trans activism and pro-abortion Democrats, ties to George Soros, and organizing a fundraiser for Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.) are unverified.
Although the three are prominent GOP figures with pro-Israel leanings, no independent evidence supports the specific claims regarding Soros partnerships or pro-abortion activism.
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, Massie 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 62% of the vote in the general election.
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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