GOP lawmaker rips Trump for wading into House Republican primary: ‘Unhelpful and unwarranted’

A House Republican is openly criticizing former President Trump for urging a primary challenger to step up against another GOP lawmaker.

Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., accused Trump of “bullying” his colleague, Rep. Laurel Lee, R-Fla., in a post on X, formerly Twitter, on Monday.

“This is unhelpful and unwarranted,” the libertarian firebrand wrote.

Massie praised Lee, a first-term House member, as “a conservative thoughtful member” of the House Judiciary Committee.

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Rep. Thomas Massie, R–Ky., accused former President Trump of “bullying” one of his House GOP colleagues.

“She endorsed [Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis] for President but then endorsed Trump when DeSantis got out of the race. More of my colleagues should call out these ridiculous bullying tactics,” Massie finished.

What followed was a post by Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, who has been critical of Trump in the past. He added his support by commenting: “Co-sponsor.”

Trump called for a primary challenger to Lee in a post on his Truth Social app on Sunday night, writing, “Any great MAGA Republicans looking to run against Laurel Lee in Florida’s 15th Congressional District? IF SO, PLEASE STEP FORWARD!”

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Trump called for a primary challenger to go up against GOP Rep. Laurel Lee in Florida. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

Fox News Digital reached out to spokespeople for the former president and for Lee’s re-election campaign for a response.

Prior to running for the House of Representatives, Lee had served in the DeSantis administration as Florida Secretary of State from 2019 through part of 2022.

She was the Sunshine State’s top election official in 2021 when DeSantis announced Florida would not audit the 2020 presidential election, despite urging from Trump allies. Trump won Florida over now-President Biden by roughly 3%.

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Rep. Chip Roy R–Texas, backed Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for president alongside Massie and Lee.

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Lee was the only member of Florida’s House delegation to back the state’s governor against Trump. Massie and Roy also endorsed DeSantis when he was running in the Republican primary, but only Lee switched her endorsement to Trump in late January when DeSantis dropped out of the race.

Trump called for a primary challenger against Roy late last year.