A Trump Dissenter Fights for His Political Life
5/19/202634 min
In Kentucky today, amid record-low approval ratings, President Trump is asking Republican primary voters to reject Representative Thomas Massie, who has broken with Mr. Trump on a handful of votes.
Instead, he wants them to elect his handpicked challenger.
Robert Draper, who covers domestic politics for The Times, and “The Daily” producer Caitlin O’Keefe, travel to Kentucky to cover what has become the most expensive House primary in American history.
Guest:
- Robert Draper, a Washington, D.C.-based journalist for The New York Times.
- Caitlin O’Keefe, an audio producer on “The Daily.”
Background reading:
- In Kentucky, fidelity to Mr. Trump is once again on the ballot.
Photo: Michael Swensen for The New York Times
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First 90 secondsSpeaker 00:00
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Michael Barbaro· Host0:25
From The New York Times, I'm Michael Barbaro. This is The Daily.
Donald Trump· Soundbite0:31
You know what the name is? [booing] He is the worst person. His name is... What the hell? How did he ever end up in Kentucky? His name is- In Kentucky on Tuesday, amid his own record low approval ratings, President Trump is asking Republican primary voters to reject a Republican congressman that they've elected seven times before. His name is Thomas Massie.
Michael Barbaro· Host0:58
[booing] Representative Thomas Massie.
Donald Trump· Soundbite1:02
Massie's a complete and total disaster as a compr- congressman and, frankly, as a human being.
Michael Barbaro· Host1:09
A fiercely proud conservative who has broken with Trump on just a handful of votes.
Donald Trump· Soundbite1:15
We gotta get rid of this loser. This guy is bad. He's disloyal to the Republican Party, he's disloyal to the people of Kentucky, and most importantly, he is disloyal to the United States of America.