Republican Thomas Massie Warns Trump That ‘Comeuppance Will Happen on Election Day’

Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) predicted a “shellacking” for Republicans in November in what he said will be a stinging rebuke of President Donald Trump.

Trump is wildly unpopular, as his approval rating is well underwater in every reputable poll. His second term has been racked by inflation thanks to his tariffs and the war on Iran, which he launched in February. In one poll, Democrats lead Republicans in a generic congressional ballot 51% to 43%. The GOP, which narrowly controls the House, is widely expected to lose the lower chamber and possibly the Senate.

On Wednesday, Sen. Roger Marshall (R-KS), who is in a closer-than-expected race against Democrat Adam Hamilton, fired off a post calling on Immigration and Customs Enforcement to “coordinate with our local law enforcement” when operating in his state. The post raised eyebrows, as Republicans have generally offered full-throated support of the agency. Several Republicans in tight races have distanced themselves from Trump, including Rep. Byron Donalds, who is running for governor in Florida. Once a vocal Trump supporter, Donalds has scrubbed mentions of Trump from his campaign website.

Massie, who lost his primary this cycle to Trump-backed Ed Gallrein, appeared on Thursday’s edition of The Source on CNN, where Kaitlan Collins asked why Republican candidates are trying to distance themselves from Trump.

“Why do you think they’re putting that daylight between them?” she inquired.

“Because they have to find some way to get away from this president,” Massie replied. “He’s not out there campaigning for them. They don’t want him in their districts. They’ve got to put space between them and him. And this is the price they’re paying. Look, I was the Republican who was speaking out for so long, and they were all, whatever Trump wants, they were all for it in their primaries. And now they’re about to take a shellacking here in the general election. So, they’re running from him on this and other issues like the [Iran] war.”

Collins responded by asking whether Trump understands the current dynamic.

“What do you think the president’s response to that is going to be?” she asked. “Do you think he’ll understand tough elections are coming up?”

Massie replied:

No. If you look at his social media accounts just in the last few hours, he’s unrepentant. He’s in denial. Somebody in the White House needs to get through to him. I think his comeuppance will happen on election day. And the day after, I think there’s gonna be a reckoning. And and what we need to see is what he does after the day after this election. Does he send a message like George Bush did, firing his secretary of defense the day after the 2006 midterms, where Republicans took a shellacking? We’ll see if he does something like that and and other measures to show that he got the message.

Watch above via CNN.

New: The Mediaite One-Sheet "Newsletter of Newsletters"
Your daily summary and analysis of what the many, many media newsletters are saying and reporting. Subscribe now!