Well, it didn’t take long. Mere hours after the nation watched President Trump deliver a somber, heartfelt address in the wake of Charlie Kirk’s assassination—a man gunned down for daring to speak his mind—Rep. Thomas Massie decided to show up with a bucket of cold water and a smirk.
While most Americans were still processing the shock of losing someone who actually cared about this country’s future, Massie went full Libertarian Purity Olympics and decided the real problem wasn’t political violence—it was Trump’s tone.
Yes, really. The same Trump who just stood in the Oval Office, visibly shaken, calling for unity and justice, is now being accused by Massie of being too “over the top.” Because apparently, when a conservative activist is murdered for his beliefs, the *real* tragedy is that Trump had the audacity to speak passionately about it.
Massie, who seems to think politics is a freshman debate club, thought this was the perfect time to nitpick Trump’s use of strong language. Instead of joining the chorus of voices condemning the climate that led to Kirk’s murder, he took a swipe at the President for going after the people and institutions enabling this madness. According to Massie, Trump’s rhetoric is “amusing,” but also maybe kind of dangerous, because some people might take it literally.
You know what’s not amusing, Congressman? A young father of two being assassinated because he dared to love his country out loud. But sure, let’s talk about how Trump calling out the Epstein file coverup is somehow “ridiculous rhetoric.” That’s the real issue here, right?
Massie’s comments are more than just tone-deaf—they’re a masterclass in Beltway aloofness. This is the guy who wants to be the smartest man in the room while the room is on fire. It’s the kind of political posturing that makes voters roll their eyes so hard they get whiplash.
Let’s be honest: this isn’t about Trump’s tone. It’s about Massie’s ego. He’s been out of step with the GOP base for years, and now he sees an opening to play the “reasonable conservative” card—the one that gets you nice write-ups in The Hill and polite applause at Georgetown cocktail parties. Never mind that the base is grieving. Never mind that Trump is doing what every leader *should* do in a moment like this: call evil what it is and promise justice.
But Massie would rather play referee than teammate. He thinks delivering emotionless lectures about decorum is somehow going to stop the left’s insane campaign of dehumanization. As if the people calling Charlie Kirk a fascist for years are suddenly going to put down their pitchforks because Thomas Massie told Trump to use his indoor voice.
Here’s the reality: Trump’s right. The left’s rhetoric has consequences. Comparing conservatives to Nazis, terrorists, and threats to democracy isn’t just political theater—it’s fuel for violence. And when someone finally acts on that hatred, the last thing we need is a Republican congressman telling the one person showing real leadership to “tone it down.”
Massie’s comments are the political equivalent of showing up to a funeral and critiquing the eulogy for being too emotional. The man just lost a friend. The movement just lost a warrior. And the country just got a front-row seat to what happens when the left’s hate machine goes unchecked.
So maybe, just maybe, this isn’t the time for Massie to play word cop. Maybe it’s the time to shut up, stand with the base, and help make sure Charlie Kirk didn’t die in vain.
But hey, what do I know? I’m not the guy trying to get MSNBC to call me “principled.”