Speaker Johnson swipes at GOP’s Massie: ‘Bless his heart’

Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) on Tuesday told reporters “bless his heart” when asked if he would back Rep. Thomas Massie’s (R-Ky.) re-election bid, once again stopping short of an endorsement — but making a handful of veiled swipes at the Kentucky Republican.

The acrimony comes as Massie continues to push for a vote on his bipartisan resolution calling for the release of documents in the Jeffrey Epstein case, a measure that many Republicans are opposed to. Massie is vowing to use a discharge petition to force a vote on the measure, something rarely used by a member of the majority.

Massie is also awaiting a primary challenger for his re-election bid next year, after drawing the ire of President Trump for his criticism of the U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities and his opposition to the party’s “big, beautiful bill,” among other stances. Trump allies are pouring money into an effort to oust the congressman.

Pressed on Tuesday if he would support Massie or his primary opponent, Johnson demurred, but did not hide his frustrations.

“As the leader of my party I lead the incumbent protection program,” Johnson told reporters at a press conference in the Capitol. “That's my job, I go all around the country, I travel endlessly, incessantly, I've raised over $300 million to do that, and we want everybody to come back.”

“And some people, I try to protect them from themselves, you know,” he added. “They kick and scream and bite their own colleagues. Some people seem to enjoy trying to inflict political pain on their own teammates. I’m not gonna address anybody individually but I'll tell you that some here are much more frustrated than others. There's a small, small, tiny handful.”

Johnson continued, singling out Massie.

“One in particular just gives me lots of consternation. I don't understand. I don't understand Thomas Massie’s motivation, I really don’t,” Johnson said. “I don’t know how his mind works, I don’t know what he’s thinking.”

The current point of contention between Massie and Johnson is the Kentucky Republican’s ongoing effort to force a vote on his resolution that would compel the publication of documents associated with the Epstein case. Massie, along with Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), have accumulated a number of co-sponsors — including at least 10 Republicans — and they are vowing to try and bring the measure to the floor through a discharge petition.

Based on procedural rules, the legislation will not be ready for a vote until September.

Discharge petitions are procedural tools that can force legislation to the floor, despite opposition from leadership, if it garners at least 218 signatures — half the chamber.

Massie for weeks has pushed for transparency in the matter. On Tuesday, he told reporters “I don’t think this issue is going away over August,” adding “people have wanted these files for years; the president promised these files would come out and now he's calling it a hoax.”

The House is set to break for the weeks-long August recess on Wednesday, one day earlier after the House Rules Committee came to a standstill over the Epstein saga. Democrats vowed to continue forcing votes on amendments in the panel to stage a vote on the Massie-Khanna resolution on the floor, which Republicans, apprehensive of angering the MAGA base, did not want to vote down.

Those dynamics have brought the House Rules Committee to a pause.

Johnson on Tuesday criticized the timing of Massie’s discharge petition, questioning why he did not move to release the files during the Biden administration. Capitol Hill is currently inundated with the Epstein controversy after the Justice Department said it would not release more files related to the Epstein case.

“Thomas Massie could have brought his discharge petition any time over the last four and a half years. Over the last four years of [the] Biden administration. He could have done that at any time. And now he's clamoring as if there's some sort of timeline on it,” Johnson said. “It's interesting to me that he chose the election of President Trump to bring this, to team up with the Democrats and bring this discharge petition.”

“So do I have some concern about that? I do,” he added. “But you know, me and my way, I try to follow Ronald Reagan's 11th commandment: Never speak evil of another Republican. My gosh, it's hard to do sometimes around here. I also try to follow the Scripture, you know, it says, Bless those who persecute you. So let me just say about Thomas Massie, could you just accept my southern, bless his heart, okay. I don’t know what else to say about it. We’re for maximum transparency, we’re engaging in that right now, and we don’t need political games.”

When asked about Massie’s claims that his discharge petition will come to bite GOP lawmakers later in the year, Johnson turned it back on the Kentucky Republican, responding: “Thomas Massie is the one trying to bite Republicans, okay, I’m not quite certain what his strategy is.”

Johnson’s criticism of Massie comes as Trump allies are planning an effort to oust the Kentucky Republican from his seat, which he held since 2012. A pro-Trump PAC, led by Trump 2024 co-campaign manager Chris LaCivita, launched its first ad against Massie last month.

Trump has since continued to slam Massie.

“Thomas Massie, the worst Republican Congressman, and an almost guaranteed NO VOTE each and every time, is an Embarrassment to Kentucky. He’s lazy, slow moving, and totally disingenuous - A real loser! Never has anything positive to add. Looking for someone good to run against this guy, someone I can Endorse and vigorously campaign for!” he wrote on Truth Social on Monday.