Three years ago Rep. Thomas Massie had been hoping to win Donald Trump’s endorsement during the GOP primary. In fact, he had even run TV-ads that were specifically targeting Trump in Florida in an effort to gain his backing. However, Massie is no longer interested in having Trump’s support in his comeback campaign.
The Kentucky Republican Representative last weekend appeared at a retreat for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. During the retreat, he called DeSantis “the best governor there ever was” in response to a question about whether or not he would back him in the 2024 presidential primary.
Massie is not the only republican to have previously been allied with Trump who is now choosing to not support the former President, despite the fact that Trump is still leading in most polls. Many Republicans have turned their attention and support to DeSantis or Gov. Nikki Hailey while others are privately expressing hope that Trump will mess up in some way. That sentiment seems to be growing within the GOP marking a clear shift as the House GOP’s members had previously endorsed Trump in both of his past races.
While Trump announced that he would be running for the White House in November, so far less than 20 House Republicans have stated that they fully endorse Trump. Still, that has not led to concern within the Trump campaign, as many members retain their contact with lawmakers. They have also noted that endorsements are going to start being announced soon.
