Pro-Israel donors unload on Trump's toughest GOP critic
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The Republican Party's pro-Israel allies are going all-out to unseat Rep. Thomas Massie. He's responded by making those attacks a centerpiece of his campaign.
Why it matters: The GOP's mega-donor ranks are filled with backers of Israel, and they're showing they're willing to invest in defeating lawmakers who are critical of Israel.
- They're also aligning themselves with President Trump, who has singled out Massie (R-Ky.) — a rare congressional Republican Trump critic — for defeat.
- Massie has vocally criticized Israel's handling of the war in Gaza and voted against providing U.S. aid to Israel. He also skipped Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's July 2024 address to the U.S. Congress.
- "I wouldn't send them a dime. Like, that's my position. I don't think whatever we're getting is worth it," Massie said in a June appearance on comedian Theo Von's podcast.
Zoom in: Pro-Israel donors are funneling money to MAGA Kentucky, a Trump-aligned super PAC that's aired several anti-Massie ads.
- The PAC — spearheaded by Trump senior political advisers Chris LaCivita and Tony Fabrizio — has raised $2 million from New York hedge fund manager Paul Singer, investor John Paulson and a political committee tied to casino mogul and Dallas Mavericks co-owner Miriam Adelson.
In return, Massie has made Singer, Paulson and Adelson's involvement a centerpiece of his campaign.
- "From Day 1, I've always put the interests of Kentucky First!" reads a mail piece Massie's campaign recently sent to voters. "These out-of-state billionaires attacking me can't stand this, so they are desperately searching for someone to run against me and be their puppet in Washington."
- His campaign has also launched a website — MAGAKYFRAUD.com — going after the donors.
- By zeroing in on the donors, Massie is attempting to take the focus off Trump — a popular figure in the congressman's district who has called Massie a "pathetic loser."
Massie has been particularly aggressive in taking on Paulson, claiming that he's in the late pedophile Jeffrey Epstein's "black book."
- A Paulson spokesperson has denied the charge, calling it a "weak attempt to imply a relationship with Epstein that never existed at any level or of any kind."
Zoom out: Senior Republicans also expect AIPAC to target Massie ahead of the May 2026 primary.
- AIPAC spent more than $300,000 on ads against Massie in 2024, calling him an "anti-Israel radical."
- AIPAC spokesperson Marshall Wittman declined to detail the group's plans, but said in a statement: "Thomas Massie is closely aligned with [Democratic Reps.] Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib in voting against pro-Israel policies" backed by Trump and Republicans.
- The Republican Jewish Coalition is also planning on getting involved in the race. "Like President Trump, we are committed to the defeat of Thomas Massie," Matt Brooks, the organization's CEO, tells Axios.
The bottom line: Trump's political operation has been trying to recruit a candidate to run against Massie, though it has yet to settle on anyone.
- But Trump advisers have expressed confidence in ousting the congressman, pointing to a recent survey they conducted showing MAGA Kentucky's anti-Massie ads taking a toll on Massie's popularity in the district.
