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By Steve Mollman
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GOP Representative Lauren Boebert is facing a wave of backlash from President Donald Trump and MAGA hardliners following her endorsement of fellow Republican Representative Thomas Massie of Kentucky. Massie has drawn the ire of the president by repeatedly breaking with him on key issues and faces a Trump-backed challenger in the Republican primary for Kentucky’s 4th Congressional District on Tuesday, with polls showing a close race for the solidly conservative seat.
Boebert—dubbed a "MAGA warrior" by Trump when he endorsed her reelection bid—sparked outrage among Trump loyalists on Friday after posting side-by-side photos of Trump and Massie on X, writing: “Below is my friend Thomas Massie. He loves America and is fighting to save it. Also below is my friend and President, Donald Trump. He’s put his life on the line to save this great country. I support both of these men. I’ve worked with both to preserve freedom and liberty. And if that makes you angry, bless your heart.”
MAGA diehards declared Boebert's endorsement for Massie political "suicide," while Trump wrote Saturday on Truth Social: "Is anyone interested in running against Weak Minded Lauren Boebert in Colorado’s Fourth Congressional District...Boebert is campaigning for the Worst 'Republican' Congressman in the History of our Country, Thomas Massie, of the Great Commonwealth of Kentucky, and anybody who can be that dumb deserves a good Primary fight!"
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The attacks underscore a broader rift within the Republican Party over how strictly loyalty to Trump is enforced, as allies who break with him increasingly face political retaliation. With Trump-backed primary challenges becoming more common, the episode raises questions about whether independent-minded Republicans can withstand pressure from the party’s base and leadership.
Boebert quickly reacted to Trump's post, writing: "Yes, I saw the President’s post. No, I’m not mad or offended. I knew the risks when I agreed to stand by my friend Thomas Massie. I was, and will be, America First, America Always, and MAGA. Onward."
Newsweek reached out to Boebert, Massie, and the White House.
Trump Targets Massie
In the Kentucky Republican primary, Trump has endorsed former Navy Seal officer Ed Gallrein, who has declined multiple invitations to debate Massie. In March, Trump slammed Massie at a rally in the state, calling him a "complete and total disaster as a congressman” who is “disloyal to the people of Kentucky, and most importantly, he is disloyal to the United States of America.”
On Sunday, Trump attacked Massie more, writing on Truth Social: "Kentucky, vote the bum out on Tuesday. We can’t live with this troublemaker for another two years."
Trump’s anger stems from Massie’s repeated breaks with him on key legislative and policy matters. The libertarian-leaning lawmaker has been a vocal critic of the Iran war, pushed aggressively for the release of the Jeffrey Epstein files, and voted against Trump’s "One Big Beautiful Bill Act," citing concerns about the national debt and deficits.
Massie has defended himself by saying he votes with Trump most of the time. According to an analysis by CQ Roll Call, a Washington, D.C.-based media and legislative tracking company, Massie voted with Trump 77.6 percent of the time last year.
In response to Boebert's post of him and Trump together, Massie wrote, “Lauren is a great friend, and like most of my friends, she likes both Trump and me! Yes it’s possible!!”
In addition to Boebert, other Republicans backing Massie include Senator Rand Paul (Kentucky), Representative Victoria Spartz (Indiana), and Representative Warren Davidson (Ohio), along with several former lawmakers such as Matt Gaetz and Marjorie Taylor Greene.
MAGA Attacks Boebert
While Massie downplayed the friction, Trump's online base did not. High-profile MAGA accounts swiftly turned on Boebert, with some calling for her to face a primary challenger of her own.
X account @LexiMurica, who has over 17,000 followers, wrote: “Time to primary Boebert another RINO snake.” RINO is an acronym for "Republican in name only."
The account @ChatByCC—self-described as “Original MAGA” and with 257,000 followers—posted: “Lauren Boebert's endorsement of Massie won't breathe life into his chances to win in Kentucky. Lauren Boebert's endorsement is suicide for her future with President Trump and MAGA.”
X account @PAMarine412—also self-described as MAGA—wrote: “You're here because you pretended to be MAGA and the people trusted you but it turns out, you're just another stupid RINO b****.”
Another MAGA-linked account, @1Nicdar, with over 450,000 followers, wrote: “I’m about to say something good about Thomas Massie, so you might wanna sit down. He can expose a RINO like no other. Today’s winner is Lauren Boebert.”
The MAGA-aligned account @JayTC53 added: “I like Boebert but without a doubt, this is the biggest mistake of her career. We don't care about your ‘friendship’ with Massie. He sides with the Democrats. He sides and votes with the people that wish to destroy this country and destroy President Trump.”
The backlash also reignited criticism over Boebert's bipartisan optics, specifically a photo she shared in April smiling alongside Colorado’s Democratic Governor, Jared Polis, at a baseball game.
Boebert, however, attempted to leverage her relationship with Polis on Friday, taking credit for influencing his decision to grant clemency to Tina Peters. Peters, a former Mesa County clerk and staunch Trump ally, was sentenced in 2024 to nine years in prison for her role in a 2021 election data security breach.
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“My heart was filled with joy when [Polis] called me today to share this great news,” Boebert posted, noting she had held multiple conversations with the governor regarding Peters' "unjust punishment." Trump had also heavily campaigned for her release, posting “FREE TINA!” on Truth Social earlier that day.
Peters is scheduled to be released on parole on June 1.
A GOP Litmus Test
The political fallout for Boebert and Massie serves as a real-time litmus test for Trump’s enduring influence over the GOP ahead of this year's midterms. In addition to Massie, Trump has targeted Louisiana Senator Bill Cassidy, who voted to convict him during his second impeachment trial in the wake of the U.S. Capitol riot. On Saturday, Trump escalated his rhetoric, calling Cassidy a “disloyal disaster."
The Louisiana lawmaker lost the GOP primary on Saturday night, with Trump writing on Truth Social that it was "nice to see." The president added in another post, "That’s what you get by voting to Impeach an innocent man, especially one who made it possible for Cassidy’s Senate win. Very disloyal, but Tom Massie, a major Sleazebag, is even worse!"
Republicans will soon learn whether Massie, unlike Cassidy, can survive Trump's attacks—and many are now wondering whether Boebert can as well.
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