(José Niño, Headline USA) Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) signaled he is not walking away from politics just one week after losing his Republican primary to a Donald Trump-backed challenger, filing paperwork with the Federal Election Commission for a potential 2028 campaign while leaving open the possibility of running for president.
Massie posted on X on Memorial Day explaining his decision to file. “I filed with FEC for the 2028 House race. This allows me to raise funds to continue my political operations supporting my position as a current office holder and as a potential candidate for federal office,” Massie wrote. “I haven’t made a final decision about which office to seek, if I run.”
I filed with FEC for the 2028 House race.
This allows me to raise funds to continue my political operations supporting my position as a current office holder and as a potential candidate for federal office.
I haven’t made a final decision about which office to seek, if I run. pic.twitter.com/heHxDnu31o
— Thomas Massie for Congress (@MassieforKY) May 25, 2026
The filing arrived nearly a week after Ed Gallrein, a former Navy SEAL and dairy farmer personally recruited and endorsed by President Trump, defeated Massie by roughly nine percentage points in the May 19 primary. The contest became the most expensive House primary in American history, with over $32 million spent, largely by Trump-aligned and pro-Israel groups running ads against the incumbent.
Trump had waged a sustained campaign against Massie over several high profile clashes. The congressman co-led a bipartisan effort with Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) to pass the Epstein Files Transparency Act, forcing the Justice Department to release documents related to Jeffrey Epstein.
Massie was also among the most vocal Republican critics of Trump’s military strikes on Iran and co-sponsored a war powers resolution requiring congressional approval for further action. He was one of only two House Republicans to vote against Trump’s major tax and spending legislation, citing concerns about the national debt, per a report by NBC News.
Trump repeatedly attacked Massie in personal terms, calling him a “pathetic LOSER,” “lightweight,” and “sick Wacko.”
The deliberately vague nature of Massie’s FEC filing has fueled speculation about his intentions. On NBC’s Meet the Press one day before the tweet, Massie stated he would “not rule out anything” when asked about a 2028 presidential campaign.
José Niño is the deputy editor of Headline USA. Follow him at x.com/JoseAlNino
