Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky) said he includes President Trump among the group that should tone down their rhetoric in the wake of the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
”I mean, there is a lot of rhetoric. And the president himself engages in it. He called it a hostile act to co-sponsor the Epstein resolution,” said Massie, who was a leading voice in pushing a motion to force the release of files related to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein. ” I think that’s ridiculous rhetoric.”
“It’s amusing,” he added. “It doesn’t offend me that he’s over the top with the rhetoric, but some people take it literally, and he should probably tone that down himself.”
Massie has often been at odds with his party, refusing to back GOP priorities that would raise the debt limit, including Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill.”
In response, Trump said Massie was “not MAGA” and has encouraged someone to primary him.
“Thomas Massie, the worst Republican Congressman, and an almost guaranteed NO VOTE each and every time, is an Embarrassment to Kentucky,” Trump said in one post on Truth Social in July. “He’s lazy, slow moving, and totally disingenuous — A real loser!”
He added, “Never has anything positive to add. Looking for someone good to run against this guy, someone I can Endorse and vigorously campaign for!”
The feud has further escalated after the Kentucky Republican’s filed a discharge petition earlier this month on a resolution to release the Epstein files, an effort that is inching closer to a sufficient number of votes.
While a brief shouting match erupted on the House floor Tuesday after a moment of silence following Kirk’s death, Massie also said lawmakers need grace as they process the death of a friend.
“Well, emotions are raw, because a lot of us knew Charlie Kirk personally and had interacted with him. And so, I give everybody a pass here,” Massie said.
“You know things when somebody passes, it’s a very emotional moment, and I don’t think you can blame anybody for what they say in the next 24 or 48 hours, but I think it’ll settle down, and hopefully it settles down to a calmer place than it was before,” he added.
Kirk, the co-founder of Turning Point USA, was shot and killed Wednesday during an event at Utah Valley University. Authorities are still searching for a suspect, though the FBI said Thursday that a rifle likely connected to the assassination was recovered.
