Rand Paul Vows Support For Thomas Massie Over Trump-Backed Candidate
Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) is standing firmly beside his longtime ally, Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), as the libertarian congressman faces a Trump-backed challenger in next year’s Republican primary.
President Donald Trump recently endorsed Ed Gallrein, a decorated former Navy SEAL and outspoken supporter of the president, signaling his desire to see Massie replaced in 2026. The move comes after months of tension between Massie and the administration over spending, foreign policy, and government transparency — particularly the ongoing release of Jeffrey Epstein investigation files.
While tens of thousands of pages have been declassified, Massie has demanded full disclosure, arguing that Americans deserve to know what’s still being withheld.
Massie’s streak of independence — from opposing the president’s summer spending bill to insisting that military actions require explicit congressional authorization — has earned him both admiration and criticism within Republican ranks.
Sen. Paul, known for his own libertarian streak and skepticism toward foreign intervention, has now stepped into the fray to defend his friend.
“Thomas Massie is going to win,” Paul told POLITICO. “I’m going to help him. I’m going to be with him every step of the way.”
Paul described Massie as an “independent voice” within the GOP — one who votes based on constitutional principles, not political convenience. He also emphasized that both lawmakers still support the president’s America First agenda far more consistently than many establishment Republicans who claim loyalty to Trump while advancing globalist policies.
“The people who’ve gotten close to him who want regime change in Venezuela and want to send more advanced weaponry to Ukraine — those are the interventionists from the interventionist wing of the party who have never been the ones really closely allied,” Paul said. “These are the people who have always opposed Donald Trump.”
Paul and Massie have long championed fiscal restraint, balanced budgets, and a non-interventionist foreign policy. Both argue that America must prioritize national strength at home before funding endless conflicts abroad.
Still, Paul warned that Trump’s willingness to target dissenting conservatives could have a chilling effect on intra-party debate.
“It’s a warning sign,” he said. “‘Oppose me or any of my policies, and I’ll come after you.’ And I don’t think that’s good for the Republican Party, nor do I think it’s good for the country.”
The Kentucky senator also voiced frustration over being treated as the GOP’s “whipping boy” for raising objections others won’t.
“They say, ‘Oh, well, you’re not afraid of the president. You go tell him his nominee can’t make it,’” Paul said. “So, I’m just tired of always being the whipping boy. I’m tired of [being] the only one that has any guts to stand up and tell the president the truth.”
Paul has criticized several of the administration’s recent military operations — including strikes on boats allegedly linked to narco-terrorism — warning that such actions could kill innocents without due process. He cited Coast Guard data showing that a significant number of vessels suspected of drug trafficking turn out to be innocent.
Tensions between Paul and the White House appear to have deepened. The senator revealed he was not invited to a recent luncheon for Republican senators, a snub reportedly linked to his disagreements with the president. But Paul shrugged it off, saying he already had a “Liberty Caucus Lunch” planned with Massie that same afternoon.
Paul has since joined Massie on the campaign trail and says he plans to do so again soon. His message to Kentucky voters is simple: principles matter more than politics.
“We’re going to stand for the Constitution, for liberty, for fiscal sanity, and for peace,” Paul said. “That’s what Republicans used to be about — and what we must be about again.”