Trump calls Rep. Thomas Massie a 'moron' at Prayer Breakfast--days after Massie threatens Epstein files contempt charges
At the National Prayer Breakfast, President Trump called Republican Rep. Thomas Massie 'this moron' and said 'there's something wrong with him,' expressing frustration at Massie's independent voting record: 'No matter what we do, this moron, no matter what it is... We'll get a 100% vote except for this guy named Thomas Massie.' The attack came just four days after Massie--alongside Democrat Rep. Ro Khanna--threatened to pursue 'inherent contempt' charges against Attorney General Pam Bondi for the DOJ's incomplete release of Epstein files. Massie had stated on February 1: 'The quickest way, and I think most expeditious way, to get justice for these victims is to bring inherent contempt against Pam Bondi.' Massie co-authored the bipartisan Epstein Files Transparency Act that Trump's DOJ claims to have satisfied while withholding key documents. The timing of Trump's attack--calling Massie a 'moron' at a religious event days after Massie threatened to hold Trump's Attorney General in contempt over Epstein--suggests retaliation for Massie's bipartisan push for full Epstein file transparency.
“No matter what we do, this moron, no matter what it is... We'll get a 100% vote except for this guy named Thomas Massie. There's something wrong with him.” — Trump at the National Prayer Breakfast, February 5, 2026, attacking the Republican congressman who threatened contempt charges over Epstein files four days earlier Quote verified against source
Analysis Feed
AI commentaryThe timing is unmistakable: four days after Massie (a Republican) joined Khanna (a Democrat) in threatening 'inherent contempt' charges against Trump's Attorney General over incomplete Epstein file releases, Trump publicly attacked Massie as 'this moron' with 'something wrong with him' at a religious event. Massie co-authored the Epstein Files Transparency Act and has been among the most persistent critics of DOJ's compliance. That Trump chose to attack Massie at a prayer breakfast--an event traditionally devoted to bipartisan unity--while pointedly NOT attacking Democrat Khanna (who made the identical threat) suggests the punishment is for disloyalty from within Republican ranks. This connects to Trump's pattern of attacking Republican oversight efforts (see: Liz Cheney, Adam Kinzinger on Jan. 6 committee) while reserving special venom for those who break ranks. The attack also serves as a warning to other Republicans considering bipartisan accountability efforts.