Overview
- President Trump used a Christmas Day Truth Social post to attack figures tied to Jeffrey Epstein and singled out Representative Thomas Massie by name.
- Massie replied on X with a mocking message and linked to his campaign donation page, framing the attack as backlash to his transparency efforts.
- Massie was the only Republican reported to co-sponsor the Epstein Files Transparency Act with Democrat Ro Khanna to compel release of DOJ records.
- The Justice Department recently released nearly 30,000 additional pages and warned that some submissions include false claims about Trump.
- The intra-GOP rift has electoral stakes, with Massie facing a 2026 primary challenge from retired Navy SEAL Ed Gallrein, who has Trump’s endorsement.