Republican Targeted By Trump Says He’s Getting ‘Private Fist Bumps’ from GOP, But Israel Still Has ‘Tight Grip on Congress’

President Donald Trump and his massive political organization have targeted Kentucky Republican Rep. Thomas Massie in next year’s primary, but the congressman said in a new interview that the effort could backfire, because support for ongoing aid to Israel is in decline on the right.

The Daily Caller reported Thursday that The American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) is also targeting Massie for ouster, and is seeking candidates to run against him. The conservative outlet spoke exclusively with Massie about the latest developments in an interview published on Friday.

When asked about AIPAC joining Trump’s efforts against him, Massie said told the Caller, “I’m aware that foreign lobbyists have conducted a push poll and are trying to recruit another candidate to run against me, due to my opposition to foreign aid and forever wars.”

But, he said, “The political calculus that both the president and AIPAC have to consider is, if they go after me and lose, they’ve lost a lot of credibility — both of them.”

Massie has repeatedly clashed with Trump in the past, and his criticism of the “Big Beautiful Bill” was reportedly the last straw for Trump, whose MAGA organization has formed a PAC to take Massie out.

The news of that development came on the same day that Trump unleashed hell on Massie for calling the attack on Iran’s nuclear sites “unconstitutional.” In the days since the attack, Massie has also attacked Trump’s Iran decisions to the delight of Chris Hayes and Democrat Ro Khanna on MSNBC, said on a podcast that U.S. support for Israel engenders a lot of “hate” from other countries, and engaged in a war of words with Vice President JD Vance on X.

In turn, the MAGA Kentucky PAC organized against his reelection released an attack ad this week, accusing Massie of, among other things, having “sided with Democrats and the Ayatollah” on Iran.

In his interview with Daily Caller, Massie suggested that his opposition to Trump’s actions in support of Israel isn’t a liability but an asset — while also suggesting an undue influence over Congress by the U.S. ally.

“I think what Israel is doing in Gaza has diminished their standing in the United States, especially among younger people in the district,” Massie said. “But I will say this — they still have a tight grip on Congress. So the disparity is growing between what Congress is doing and what the people are thinking.”

“We’ve achieved a situation where each time he attacks me, it increases my fundraising,” he added.

And he claimed that he has support among his colleagues, even as many publicly decline to offer support.

But Massie said he’s been receiving private “fist bumps” and other signs of encouragement from many of his Republican colleagues in private.

“Just yesterday, I decided to start asking my colleagues for checks from their campaigns to help me, and they’ve been supportive — nobody’s turned me down,” he said.

Massie also spoke about whether any comments from Speaker Mike Johnson would have any impact in Kentucky, and spoke about whether or not Trump will even stick with the idea of ousting him at all, rather than just backing off eventually.