Rand Paul pledges support for Massie against Trump-backed challenger: 'I'm going to help him'
Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., said he will be supporting fellow liberty-minded lawmaker, Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., as he faces a primary challenge from a candidate backed by President Donald Trump.Trump...
By Fox News Politics · Fox News Politics
Sen. Rand Paul , R-Ky., said he will be supporting fellow liberty-minded lawmaker, Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., as he faces a primary challenge from a candidate backed by President Donald Trump. Trump endorsed vocal loyalist and former Navy SEAL Ed Gallrein last week after calling for a 2026 challenger to Massie, who continues to pressure the administration to release the remaining files related to the Jeffrey Epstein investigation. Massie has stood up to Trump and bucked his party on other issues, including by voting against the president's spending bill over the summer and affirming that Trump needs congressional approval for a war declaration. Paul, who has also stood up to Trump, voted against the bill in the Senate and has criticized the administration for moving forward with military strikes without authorization from lawmakers. Now, Paul is endorsing Massie's re-election campaign and is vowing to help him hold onto his House seat. SCOOP: TRUMP-BACKED FORMER NAVY SEAL LAUNCHES GOP PRIMARY CHALLENGE AGAINST MASSIE "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 said Massie represents an "independent voice" within the GOP after his repeated splits with the party, but stated that both Massie and himself support Trump’s agenda "significantly more" than other Republicans who have sought to remain close allies of the president. "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 said he and Massie will continue to push for "enumerated powers" as well as "balanced budgets, low taxes and less foreign war." The Kentucky senator said Trump’s efforts to single out Massie should raise concerns for all Republican lawma…