Representative Thomas Massie, a Kentucky Republican who has often clashed with Donald Trump, has voiced his concerns about the former president’s aggressive language toward his congressional colleague, Florida Republican Representative Laurel Lee.
Inquiring about potential challengers to Lee, Trump, the probable GOP nominee for the 2024 presidential race, took to Truth Social and asked if any formidable MAGA Republicans were willing to challenge Lee for her congressional seat.
Lee had previously served as Florida’s secretary of state under Governor Ron DeSantis.
The congresswoman initially supported DeSantis’ 2024 presidential campaign but shifted her allegiance to Trump after DeSantis decided to end his campaign.
No Republican candidates have stepped forward to challenge the congresswoman’s bid for reelection in 2024. Nevertheless, the former president’s urging that Republicans who align with his MAGA movement should oust Lee was seen as crass and unnecessary.
Representative Chip Roy, a Texas Republican who backed DeSantis’ 2024 campaign, agreed with Massie’s statement, dropping a one-word statement: “Co-sponsor.”
Some prominent Trump supporters have shown interest in challenging Lee, such as Jackie Toledo, a former Florida state lawmaker who lost to Lee in the GOP congressional primary in 2022.
Laura Loomer, a well-known activist, and Florida congressional candidate, said on X that she had received numerous phone calls from Republican officials encouraging her to consider running against Laurel Lee. (Loomer once charged the stage during a play in Manhattan to protest a scene where Donald Trump suffers a stabbing death.)
Massie, a legislator with libertarian leanings, has clashed with the former president on other occasions. Trump called for Massie to be expelled from the Republican Party because of his opposition to a $2 trillion coronavirus relief package that the former president was urging Republicans to support.
Eventually, Trump backed Massie’s 2022 reelection campaign, as Massie was widely anticipated to secure a significant victory.
