A coalition of anti-Trump Republicans and Libertarian Party operatives is plotting to recruit outgoing Rep. Thomas Massie for a third-party presidential campaign in 2028.
The effort is reportedly part of an effort to siphon votes away from the eventual Republican nominee.
According to Axios, the group has spent months encouraging Massie to seek the Libertarian Party’s nomination.
Massie, a notorious RINO known for siding with Democrats, lost his Republican primary earlier this year to Trump-backed challenger Ed Gallrein following a bitter campaign.
Following the midterm elections, Massie has said one of his final acts in Congress will be to secure the impeachment of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
🚨 BREAKING: Rep. Thomas Massie announces he will BRING A VOTE to IMPEACH SecWar Pete Hegseth next week unless he resigns
“There is one contingency in which I won’t reintroduce the articles of impeachment: Hegseth resigns.”
This ACTUALLY going anywhere requires 67 US Senators… pic.twitter.com/XYALzGkuxw
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) November 5, 2026
However, his supporters believe he could attract Republicans opposed to the war in Iran and continued support for Israel, including the likes of Tucker Carlson and Marjorie Taylor Greene.
Axios: Libertarian operatives and MAGA defectors have a 2028 plan for Thomas Massie
They want to recruit him as the Libertarian presidential nominee, aiming to unite the MAGA wing closer to Tucker Carlson and Marjorie Taylor Greene and play spoiler for the GOP nominee.
Link:… pic.twitter.com/D2LAwgPXw2
— Politics Watch (@politics_watch1) November 8, 2026
Among the organizers is Michael Heise, founder of the Libertarian Party’s Mises Caucus, which took control of the party in 2022.
The Mises PAC is helping finance the effort to draft Massie. The organization raised approximately $394,000 during the 2024 election cycle.
Libertarian activist Larry Sharpe said he had spoken with Massie several times about a potential presidential campaign.
“Libertarian Jesus is Ron Paul, and one of our saints is Thomas Massie,” Sharpe said.
Organizers are also attempting to rebrand the Libertarian Party around an anti-war interpretation of the “America First.”
Among those supporting the effort is the podcaster Bret Weinstein.
“The idea is if one can take 5, 10, 15% of the vote from one of these parties, then that party has to listen and cave to interest of the people,” he said.
The organizers hope to secure at least five percent of the national vote, which could qualify the Libertarian Party for federal campaign funding in subsequent elections.
Massie has yet to publicly comment on the reports.
Ben Kew is a writer and editor. Originally from the UK, he moved to the U.S. to cover Congress for Breitbart News and has since gone on to editorial roles at Human Events, Townhall Media, and Americano Media. He has also written for The Epoch Times, The Western Journal, and The Spectator.
You can email Ben Kew here, and read more of Ben Kew’s articles here.
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