Summary
Overview
This episode examines Republican Congressman Thomas Massey's primary election defeat after losing Trump's support, exploring how it reveals the former president's iron grip on the GOP despite declining approval ratings. The episode also features an in-depth interview with Professor Jeffrey Winters about his book 'The Blind Spot,' which argues that modern democracies are structurally designed to accommodate oligarchy rather than prevent it.
Thomas Massey's Downfall and Trump's Vendetta
Republican Congressman Thomas Massey, who served for 14 years and led the charge for releasing the Jeffrey Epstein files, has lost his primary contest in Kentucky after Trump launched a personal campaign against him. Trump branded Massey a 'moron, nutjob, and loser,' dispatched top advisers to Kentucky, and even held a rally there denouncing him as disloyal. The race became one of the most expensive primaries in history at $23 million, demonstrating how far Trump will go to punish dissent within his own party.
- Trump launched a personal vendetta against Massey, branding him a moron, nutjob, and loser
- Massey led the charge for release of the Epstein Files Transparency Act, taking out two dozen CEOs, an ambassador, a prince, a prime minister, and a minister of culture
- The primary race cost $23 million, making it one of the most expensive primaries ever - more than UK parties can spend on entire general elections
- Trump dispatched Pete Hegseth to Kentucky in the middle of the Iran war to campaign against Massey
" If the legislative branch always votes whichever way the wind is blowing, then we have mob rule. "
" President Trump does not need more people in Washington who are trying to make a point, especially from his own party. He needs people willing to help him win, to vote with him when it matters the most. "
Independent Voices Being Eliminated from the GOP
Massey represents a libertarian-minded, independent Republican voice who voted with Trump 90% of the time but spoke out when he disagreed, particularly on the Iran war and Epstein files. His defeat symbolizes the elimination of any dissenting voices within the Republican Party. Despite Trump's low approval ratings and Americans being deeply dissatisfied with his economic record and foreign policy, the Republican grassroots remain completely in thrall to him, unwilling to consider a post-Trump future.
- Massey is an independent-minded Republican who lives off-grid and has won re-election by 60% of the vote in Kentucky
- He was outspoken critic of Iran war, saying Trump violated constitution by striking without congressional approval
- Trump's approval rating is at rock bottom, yet the party shows no signs of moving away from him
- Other Republican senators like Bill Cassidy and John Cornyn are also being primaried for occasionally speaking against Trump
" On one level, what this shows you is that Trump still has a very firm grip on his party. But on the other hand, you are starting to see something emerge, which is no dissent, no guardrails, no voices. If you disagree with the president, you're out. "
" If you always vote with the president, if the legislative branch always votes with the president, we do have a king. If the legislative branch always votes whichever way the wind is blowing, then we have mob rule. But if the legislative branch and the representatives and the senators that serve with it always follow the Constitution, we have a republic. "
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