Rep. Thomas Massie is backing Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for the 2024 Republican White House nomination against ex-President Donald Trump.
Mr. Massie announced his endorsement via Never Back Down PAC, an outside political group working to lay the groundwork for a potential presidential bid by Mr. DeSantis.
“If we make the right choices, America’s best days are in front of us,” said Mr. Massie, Kentucky Republican. “Let’s pick a proven energetic leader who can get us there. Let’s choose Ron DeSantis for president.”
The endorsement came one day after Mr. Trump appeared in a Manhattan courtroom to plead not guilty to a 34-count felony indictment surrounding payments to conceal his purported affair with former adult film star Stormy Daniels. It also presents something of a political payback for Mr. Massie after the ex-president worked to deny him reelection in the GOP primary in 2020.
At the time, Mr. Trump called Mr. Massie a “third-rate grandstander” for opposing a $2.2 trillion coronavirus relief package at the height of the pandemic. Mr. Trump even went as far as to call Mr. Massie a “disaster” and urged voters to throw him “out of the Republican Party.”
But the two had appeared to patch up their relationship after Mr. Trump left office. Last year, the former president endorsed Mr. Massie for reelection, along with every other Republican member from Kentucky’s House delegation.
“Congressman Thomas Massie is a conservative warrior,” Mr. Trump said in his endorsement. “An MIT graduate and a first-rate defender of the Constitution, Thomas fights hard to protect your liberties, especially the First and Second Amendments, which are under siege by the radical left.”
Despite the Trump endorsement, Mr. Massie said he believes that Mr. DeSantis is the better choice for Republicans in 2024.
“America needs a leader who is decisive, respects the Constitution, understands policy, puts family first, and leads by inspiring,” said the Kentucky lawmaker.
Mr. Massie is the second House Republican to throw his weight behind Mr. DeSantis. Last month, Texas GOP Rep. Chip Roy also endorsed the Florida governor, saying the next president must have the “courage to chart a new course.”
• Haris Alic can be reached at halic@washingtontimes.com.
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