As Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) orated his case for impeaching Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, supporters of President Donald Trump rallied against the Kentucky lawmaker on X — and accused him of plotting a third-party presidential campaign.
"The MAGA breakup might be getting its own presidential candidate," posted MAGA commentator Mario Nawfal. "A group of Trump critics and Libertarian operatives wants Thomas Massie to run for president in 2028."
Nawfal continued, "Their plan? Rally anti-war conservatives, disillusioned MAGA voters and libertarians behind a third-party ticket. Massie hasn't agreed to anything yet, but the organizers aren't exactly hiding their intentions: they want enough votes to make Republicans pay attention. If Massie truly wants to be the presidential candidate, he needs to run in the primaries and win them; that would be his only path to becoming president."
A commentator named Jerome Wood also speculated that "a third-party Massie run would most likely split the right and help the Democrat win the White House. Massie voted against the One Big Beautiful Bill. If he thinks he speaks for MAGA voters, run in the primary and find out."
Not all of the pro-Trump pundits were as collected as Nawfal. Conservative influencer Patriot Voice characterized Massie as a grandstander.
"Thomas Massie acting like a self-important headline act while teaming up with Democrats to sink Pete Hegseth is pure ego," Patriot Voice said. "A lame duck looking for attention!"
Not all of the right-leaning voices were critical of Massie. Independent political commentator Kacee Allen praised Massie for what Allen characterized as a reassertion of constitutional principles in the House of Representatives.
"Rep. Thomas Massie just reintroduced the articles of impeachment against Pete Hegseth on the House floor," Allen wrote. "Hegseth’s reckless, unauthorized war in Iran has put our troops at risk for months with no congressional approval and no valid justification."
She continued, "This is a bold message to the GOP and MAGA: ignore the Constitution, endanger our military, and face accountability. Impeach him."
An account known as TMK wrote, "Thomas Massie has filed articles of impeachment against Pete Hegseth, and Marjorie Taylor Greene is cheering him on. Meanwhile, Nick Fuentes called on his followers to vote Democrat in the midterms."
The account continued, "And these are the people claiming to represent America First? If you still believe this is America First rather than an effort to destroy the MAGA movement from within, you're an idiot."
Jimmy Chill opined that Massie was acting selfishly, writing that "the MAGA movement finds that Thomas Massie has, through persistent grandstanding, selective principle, and an inability to support the President without a thousand caveats, become the congressional version of that guy at the tailgate who keeps explaining why the team’s strategy is wrong while everyone else is just trying to enjoy the win. The recommended punishment is exactly what Kentucky already delivered: early retirement, a return to the farm, and the permanent loss of the ability to force the rest of the conference to deal with his procedural stunts."
Two MAGA supporters on X accused Massie of jealousy, with MAGA MATT claiming that "Kentucky should be so damn ashamed of that jealous SCUMBAG Rep. Massie for his impeachment article he’s laying down in the Corrupt House right now[!] Total DC trash." Similarly Shay ULTRA MAGA stated that "Massie wants to impeach Hegseth because he is jealous of him... Hegseth is a real man that is getting the job done... Democrats want to impeach him because they are scared of him... because he is getting the job done and he is effective[!] Hegseth is something they will never be — a real man!!"
Massie has long been a thorn in Trump's side, from taking the lead in pushing to release the files related to Trump's late friend, the former child sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein, to vehemently criticizing Trump's decision to wage an unprovoked war against Iran.
"Mr. Massie, a libertarian with a contrarian streak, was a rare Republican to split with Mr. Trump over the war," reported The New York Times’ Tim Balk in March. "Only one House Republican, Representative Warren Davidson of Ohio, joined Mr. Massie in supporting a failed measure last week to force the president to go to Congress for approval to continue using force against Iran. As Mr. Massie braces for the fight of his political life against Ed Gallrein, a farmer who has pledged fealty to the president, he has sought to reframe the race, saying it is not simply between him and Mr. Gallrein, but between him and groups, including the Republican Jewish Coalition, that want to 'make an example' out of him.”
Balk added that “in a statement, Mr. Gallrein, a former Navy SEAL, praised Mr. Trump's handling of the war, and said his own military career had taught him that swift 'action, clear objectives, and overwhelming strength save American lives and prevent larger wars.'"
