Vol. 42, No. 04
04/01/2026
Bucking the Establishment: Thomas Massie’s Fight for Representative Government
AT A GLANCE
• Representative Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) is the most consistent constitutionalist in Congress.
• He has come under fire recently for voting against the GOP and Trump administration.
• Rather than “draining the swamp,” Trump and the Establishment are working to “primary” him.
• Massie believes his chances of retaining his House seat are good.
In the following interview with The New American’s Christian Gomez, Representative Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) offered a candid assessment of his congressional reelection battle and the broader struggle for constitutional governance in Washington. Below is an abridged and lightly edited transcript of the interview, which was recorded on January 19 for The New American’s Unrestricted. The full interview is available to watch for free at TheNewAmerican.com and The New American’s Facebook and X accounts.
TNA: What first motivated you to run for Congress back in 2012? And what is motivating you to keep running this year, in 2026?
Massie: I joke that it was bad judgment in 2012. But what motivates me now is that I have seen how messed up the swamp is. If I could get a lobotomy and leave and forget everything that I knew about Washington, D.C., I might take it — kind of like getting back into the Matrix (great movie; I watched it again the other night). But once you’re out of the Matrix and you know what’s really happening, morally you have to keep doing it. And my race has become a proxy battle for several things. I think the main thing is, can you go to Washington, D.C., and vote your conscience? Are you allowed to vote differently than your party 10 percent of the time, or are they going to demand complete compliance? And if you don’t comply, can you get reelected? We’re going to answer that question on May 19 for my [primary] election, so the weight is heavier on my shoulders because of that. I think there are at least 30 members of Congress who are watching my race and deciding whether they will ever step out of line again, or whether they will step out of line the first time. That’s why it’s so important in my opinion.
Premium Content
The full article includes detailed analysis of Massie's legislative strategy, exclusive quotes from the interview, and insider information about upcoming votes.
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