Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) is eyeing another presidential run in 2028 — but first, he’s testing his political strength by going all-in to save Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) from a Trump-backed primary challenger.
Paul has increasingly cast himself as a counterweight to Trump-style populism, arguing the GOP needs to rebuild a “free-market wing” made up of libertarians, business conservatives, and noninterventionists skeptical of foreign wars.
And no one in Washington is more closely aligned with Paul than Massie. The libertarian duo shares not just ideology, but also the wrath of President Donald Trump for bucking his administration on immigration enforcement, tariffs, the Iran war, and spending.
The willingness to diverge from Trump is why the president and MAGA allies have targeted Massie for defeat and are spending heavily in favor of his primary challenger, Ed Gallrein. No national GOP figure has gone more out of their way to stump for Massie against the Trump-led onslaught than Paul.
The race offers an early test of Paul’s clout and whether the kind of libertarian-leaning coalition he envisions leading in 2028 can still compete inside the GOP.
“When I first ran for office, I always told people, ‘I had a good job, and I’m willing to go back to it at any time.’ And that’s still true,” Paul, an ophthalmologist, told reporters Friday following an event with Massie in Kentucky. The two spent the day traversing Massie’s district, hitting several events as part of their latest campaign venture together.
“I enjoyed my life as a physician and miss it in some ways,” Paul said. “So, I guess I don’t fear losing the way some politicians might fear. What will they do? Well, I know what I’ll do.”
Massie, a seven-term congressman, sees Paul’s assistance as more of a personal sacrifice. Paul is buoying his fundraising ahead of the May 19 primary and taking the same hits from Trump. The two can “share the political blowback,” as Massie puts it.
“I’m sure it will benefit him in terms of getting to know the people two years ahead of his reelection. But it benefits me far more,” Massie said in an interview with the Washington Examiner. “I think he genuinely wants to see his best political ally in the House remain in the House. I think it’s about keeping me in office. His favorability [is] higher than my favorability in Kentucky, so I don’t think he’s doing it to improve his image.”
When the president hosted a Kentucky rally last month, Trump touted his agenda and thrashed Massie as a “disaster” for the Bluegrass State, a “nutjob,” “stupid,” and someone he “just can’t stand.”
“We’ve got to get rid of this loser,” Trump said of Massie. “We call him Rand Paul Jr. — he votes against everything. But at least I like Rand a little bit.”
Paul is up for reelection for a fourth Senate term in 2028. He may be able to still run for Senate and president simultaneously, as he did in 2016. Should Paul choose to run, Massie is ready to return the favor and support him once again.
“I supported him in 2016, and I would probably support him for just about anything he wants to do,” Massie said. “Not because I owe him any favors, or will owe him any favors, but just because he’s about as close ideologically to me as any other you know person in Washington, D.C.”
For Paul, the effort carries higher stakes than a typical House primary. A victory for Massie would offer evidence that Paul can mobilize voters in his own backyard and counter Trump’s hold on the GOP. A loss could expose the limits of his influence ahead of the 2028 presidential contest, where Trump and his legacy are likely to loom large.
Massie’s primary isn’t the only contentious Republican race in Kentucky. Perhaps even more bitter is the feud to replace retiring Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY), which features a three-way contest between Rep. Andy Barr (R-KY), former state Attorney General Daniel Cameron, and entrepreneur Nate Morris.
However, Paul has steered clear of that GOP food fight, despite stumping for Cameron in his 2023 gubernatorial bid. The trio of Senate hopefuls has clambered for a Trump endorsement that the president seems unwilling to extend in a field of contenders he’s all praised.
Massie is also “staying out of the Senate race” but quickly acknowledged “the Senate race is not staying out of mine.” Morris and Barr are backing Trump-endorsed Gallrein, a farmer and former Navy SEAL officer.
“I think it could backfire on them with voters, even though it may play well with Trump,” Massie said.
Cameron has remained neutral but has embraced some Massie allies, and he shares a political consulting firm with Paul, according to federal campaign finance records.
Massie downplayed his recent suggestion that he may seek the governor’s mansion in 2027, when Gov. Andy Beshear (D-KY) will be term-limited. But he also didn’t rule out a stronger interest “sometime later.” He also shot down any future run for Senate.
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“The only position other than U.S. House of Representatives that intrigues me is the governor’s office,” Massie said. “But that doesn’t have to be in 2027. That could be sometime later.”
Gallrein’s campaign did not respond for this story.
For now, Massie says the alliance is rooted in ideology, even as the political stakes for him and Paul are all too real. Whether it pays off could say as much about Paul’s future as it does of Massie’s.