Libertarian-wing group seeks to draft Thomas Massie for 2028 presidential run

Some Republican critics of President Donald Trump are looking at a new way to hold him to account: a 2028 presidential run by Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky. Massie has not said he will run for president, or under which party label.

The Libertarian Party's Mises Caucus has launched a political group called the American Liberty Party, according to Independent Political Report, a site that covers third parties. It describes recruiting Massie to run for president in 2028 as "one of the new group's first objectives" ³. The report was published October 27, 2026, and the full text was behind a paywall ³.

Where Massie stands

Massie lost his Republican primary in Kentucky's 4th District to Ed Gallrein, a former Navy SEAL backed by Trump ¹. He remains in Congress until January 2027 ².

Days after that loss, Massie filed paperwork with the Federal Election Commission, the agency that oversees campaign finance, for the 2028 House race ¹. He also said he had not settled on what office to seek ¹.

From Channel GOPMassie says Epstein files show it wasn't a hoaxThomas Massie · 5.3K plays · captioned, with the source named

Asked on NBC's "Meet the Press" about a presidential run, he did not close the door. He said he would stay involved in politics in some capacity ¹. Newsweek reported that he declined to commit to running strictly as a Republican ².

I will not rule out anything, and right now I'm not going to rule in anything.

Why a spoiler bid matters

A spoiler is a candidate who is unlikely to win but draws enough votes from a rival to change the result. In a close race, a well-known libertarian-leaning Republican on the ballot could pull votes away from the GOP nominee.

That is the bet behind the draft effort, though the sources we could read do not show how large the effort is or who is backing it. Our fact desk could not independently confirm reports of a wider group of Trump critics behind it. We also found no statement from Massie responding to the American Liberty Party.

Any such run is far off. The Libertarian Party picks its nominee at its national convention in 2028, and Massie would have to decide to take part. The party's rules and the ballot-access rules in each state would shape what a bid could look like. We have not reviewed either.

The pattern is that Massie's break with Trump did not end with his primary loss. He has kept every option open since May ¹². This effort would give him a route outside the Republican Party if he wanted one.

What happens next

Massie said after his loss that he would "take some time and decide what's next" ². He has until January to finish his House term. The American Liberty Party's next steps are not clear from what we could read.

We sought comment from Democrats on the idea but found no on-the-record reaction in the coverage we could read. We will update this brief if one emerges.

The Record

1. May 19, 2026Massie loses his Kentucky Republican primary to Trump-backed Ed Gallrein ¹².
2. May 25, 2026Massie says he filed with the FEC for a 2028 House race and has not decided which office to seek ¹.
3. Oct 27, 2026Independent Political Report says the Mises Caucus launched the American Liberty Party to recruit Massie for president ³.

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<h2>Libertarian-wing group seeks to draft Thomas Massie for 2028 presidential run</h2> <p><em>By The GOP Files Campaign Desk. This article first appeared on <a href="https://thegopfiles.com/story/libertarian-wing-group-seeks-to-draft-thomas-massie-for-2028-presidential-run">The GOP Files</a> on Sunday, November 8, 2026.</em></p> <p>Some Republican critics of President Donald Trump are looking at a new way to hold him to account: a 2028 presidential run by Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky. Massie has not said he will run for president, or under which party label.</p> <p>The Libertarian Party&#39;s Mises Caucus has launched a political group called the American Liberty Party, according to Independent Political Report, a site that covers third parties. It describes recruiting Massie to run for president in 2028 as &quot;one of the new group&#39;s first objectives&quot; . The report was published October 27, 2026, and the full text was behind a paywall .</p> <h2>Where Massie stands</h2> <p>Massie lost his Republican primary in Kentucky&#39;s 4th District to Ed Gallrein, a former Navy SEAL backed by Trump . He remains in Congress until January 2027 .</p> <p>Days after that loss, Massie filed paperwork with the Federal Election Commission, the agency that oversees campaign finance, for the 2028 House race . He also said he had not settled on what office to seek .</p> <p>Asked on NBC&#39;s &quot;Meet the Press&quot; about a presidential run, he did not close the door. He said he would stay involved in politics in some capacity . Newsweek reported that he declined to commit to running strictly as a Republican .</p> <blockquote><p>I will not rule out anything, and right now I&#39;m not going to rule in anything.</p><p>&mdash; Thomas Massie, U.S. Representative, Republican-Kentucky</p></blockquote> <h2>Why a spoiler bid matters</h2> <p>A spoiler is a candidate who is unlikely to win but draws enough votes from a rival to change the result. In a close race, a well-known libertarian-leaning Republican on the ballot could pull votes away from the GOP nominee.</p> <p>That is the bet behind the draft effort, though the sources we could read do not show how large the effort is or who is backing it. Our fact desk could not independently confirm reports of a wider group of Trump critics behind it. We also found no statement from Massie responding to the American Liberty Party.</p> <p>Any such run is far off. The Libertarian Party picks its nominee at its national convention in 2028, and Massie would have to decide to take part. The party&#39;s rules and the ballot-access rules in each state would shape what a bid could look like. We have not reviewed either.</p> <p>The pattern is that Massie&#39;s break with Trump did not end with his primary loss. He has kept every option open since May . This effort would give him a route outside the Republican Party if he wanted one.</p> <h2>What happens next</h2> <p>Massie said after his loss that he would &quot;take some time and decide what&#39;s next&quot; . He has until January to finish his House term. The American Liberty Party&#39;s next steps are not clear from what we could read.</p> <p>We sought comment from Democrats on the idea but found no on-the-record reaction in the coverage we could read. We will update this brief if one emerges.</p> <p><em>Read the original, with every source linked, at <a href="https://thegopfiles.com/story/libertarian-wing-group-seeks-to-draft-thomas-massie-for-2028-presidential-run">thegopfiles.com</a>. Republished under The GOP Files' <a href="https://thegopfiles.com/republish">free republishing terms</a>.</em></p> <img src="https://thegopfiles.com/api/rp/libertarian-wing-group-seeks-to-draft-thomas-massie-for-2028-presidential-run.gif" alt="" width="1" height="1" style="border:0;width:1px;height:1px">

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Sources

1. NBC News, “Rep. Thomas Massie files paperwork to run in 2028, says he hasn't made a 'final decision' about his political future” (2026-05-25). nbcnews.com/politics/congress/rep-thomas-massie-files-paperw
2. Newsweek, “Massie Won't Rule Out 2028 Presidential Run” (2026-05-25). newsweek.com/massie-2028-presidential-run-not-ruled-out-1198
3. Independent Political Report, “Mises Caucus Launches American Liberty Party, Seeks to Draft Thomas Massie for President” (2026-10-27). independentpoliticalreport.substack.com/p/mises-caucus-launc

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