‘Never said I’m running’: Rep. Thomas Massie, Tucker Carlson talk KY Senate seat

Republican Rep. Thomas Massie expressed little interest in running for U.S. Senate in Kentucky when it’s anticipated a seat will open in 2026 due to Minority Leader Mitch McConnell’s likely retirement .

“I’ve never said I’m running for the Senate,” Massie said. “I’m pretty much disinterested in it, personally and publicly.”

The Northern Kentucky congressman made the comments to Tucker Carlson during a podcast interview than ran more than two hours and published late last week.

His answer emanated from an exchange over the targeting of Massie by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, whose super PAC deployed a statewide advertising blitz against him for a string of votes viewed as unfavorable to Israel.

In an interview with the Herald-Leader last month, Massie left his options open for a future statewide campaign but said it was foolish to allocate any resources toward such an endeavor right now.

While Massie complimented McConnell as “shrewd” and “quick” during his wide-ranging conversation with Carlson, he added that it was “obviously way past time” for new leadership in the Senate.

Massie noted that his own private polling showed McConnell has a lower favorability rating among Republicans in the 4th congressional district than Gov. Andy Beshear, a Democrat.

Whereas Beshear’s favorability sits around 40%, McConnell’s tracks at 30%, Massie told Carlson, the former Fox News host who now runs his own podcast, “The Tucker Carlson Show.”

To that revelation, Carlson quipped, “Well-deserved. I’m glad to hear that.”

The Ukraine split

Massie’s widest disagreement with McConnell stems over American military intervention abroad.

While McConnell has been a steadfast supporter of aiding Ukraine’s fight against Russia, Massie has joined a minority of members in the House opposing continual funding for the foreign war.

When Massie asked government officials for their estimation of Ukrainian casualties in the war, officials from the Defense and State Departments said they’d get back to him. He told Carlson he’s still waiting for an answer.

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“They said they would get back to me and they’ve never gotten back to me,” Massie said. “Congress is being fed propaganda by our State Department and our Secretary of Defense and our intelligence agencies.”

Last August, U.S. officials told The New York Times that the total number of Ukrainian and Russian troops killed or wounded since the war began was around 500,000.

But there hasn’t been a precise number of Ukrainian casualties provided by government officials as the war approaches two and a half years.

‘Trump antibodies’

Carlson also asked Massie about his relationship with former President Donald Trump, who Massie has tangled with on several occasions during and after his presidency.

In 2020, Massie locked horns with Trump over his coronavirus relief package and the congressman’s demand that House members return to Washington to debate the emergency funding at the start of the pandemic.

At the time, the former president blasted Massie as a “third-rate grandstander,” and told him his defiance would cost him his seat.

Massie comfortably won a sixth term, telling Carlson, “I think [Trump] respects people that stand up.”

Carlson agreed with Massie’s assessment, but it’s unclear if Trump has forgiven Massie for endorsing Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ presidential bid last year.

Having just easily won his primary race and on his way to a seventh term representing northern Kentucky, Massie appears unworried about any future political consequences if Trump returns to the White House.

“I have Trump antibodies at this point,” Massie said. “They may wear off at some point.”