Congressman Thomas Massie (R-KY) is showing increasing signs of political strain after enduring months of sharp criticism from President Donald Trump.
Massie has emerged as a leading voice among a small group of hardline fiscal conservatives threatening to block Trump’s “big, beautiful” tax cut bill when it returns to the House for a second vote following Senate revisions. His vocal opposition has drawn the ire of the president, who announced over the weekend that he plans to heavily fund a Republican primary challenger to unseat Massie next year.
Winning that fight may prove easier than expected. A new Kaplan Strategies poll shows that the six-term congressman is viewed unfavorably by his constituents, with a clear majority expressing a preference for someone else to represent them when the 120th Congress convenes in 2027.
When asked whether Congressman Massie deserves reelection, only 19% of respondents said yes, while 47% indicated they would back a challenger. If Trump were to endorse that challenger, Massie’s support would drop further to 14%, while support for the challenger would surge to 59%.
The only declared challenger so far is Nicole Lee Ethington, a registered nurse with no prior political experience or history of running for office. Despite her low name recognition, Ethington would begin the race with a substantial lead over Massie.
A head-to-head poll shows Ethington leading Massie 31% to 19%. Kaplan Strategies noted that Massie’s 19% support is identical to what he would receive against a generic, unnamed challenger, suggesting that Ethington’s numbers could rise even further if Trump enters the race with an endorsement.
“Ethington is likely the only one with significant room to grow in support as her share of the vote is below the total number of voters that say they will at least ‘probably’ vote for a challenger to Massie,” pollsters wrote.
Among Republican voters, only 23% view Massie favorably, while 62% hold an unfavorable opinion of him. In contrast, the same group gives President Trump an overwhelming 89% approval rating, with just 9% expressing disapproval of his performance.
