Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) appears to have traded campaign trails for deep-sea fishing, posting a video on X Wednesday of himself reeling in a sailfish alongside former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene. The outing comes just hours after Massie lost Kentucky's Republican primary to a candidate endorsed by President Donald Trump.
The primary defeat reshuffles the deck in a reliably Republican district, all but ensuring a new representative for Kentucky's 4th Congressional District. Massie's departure opens a lane for a Trump-aligned successor, tightening the president's grip on the House GOP conference.
The race underscored the enduring power of a Trump endorsement in Republican primaries, even against a sitting incumbent with a libertarian-leaning voting record. Massie had occasionally broken with party leadership, notably on Ukraine aid and debt ceiling votes.
Public reaction has been mixed, with some supporters lamenting the loss of Massie's independent streak while others welcome a more loyal Trump ally. The fishing trip with Greene, a staunch Trump supporter, signals no hard feelings between the outgoing congressman and the MAGA wing.