Kentucky congressman Thomas Massie has responded to Donald Trump's Christmas Day attack, in which the president called him a 'lowlife' for co-authoring a law requiring the release of Jeffrey Epstein files. Massie said the president attacked him for fulfilling a campaign promise to 'help victims'.
Massie then used the insult to raise funds for his 2026 re-election campaign against an opponent Trump has already endorsed. Within two hours of his fundraising plea, more than 40 people had donated nearly $3,000, according to Massie's social media account.
The exchange highlights a deepening divide between Trump and Massie. Massie co-authored the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which passed Congress in November, and has called for consequences for those connected to Epstein, similar to those faced by Prince Andrew and former UK ambassador Peter Mandelson.
Trump's Justice Department missed the 19 December deadline for full release of Epstein files, though it released some materials and later said it had found over a million more documents, which could take weeks to process. Trump has endorsed retired Navy SEAL Ed Gallrein to challenge Massie in the Republican primary.
