'Watching MAGA light itself on fire': Internet floored as Trump's foe opens door to 2028

Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY), an outspoken critic of President Donald Trump, left the internet surprised on Monday after announcing he might be considering a political comeback just days after losing his primary election to a President Donald Trump-endorsed challenger.

Massie wrote in a post on X that he filed paperwork with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) for the 2028 election — keeping the details vague.

"I filed with FEC for the 2028 House race. This allows me to raise funds to continue my political operations supporting my position as a current office holder and as a potential candidate for federal office. I haven’t made a final decision about which office to seek, if I run," he wrote.

On social media, political experts and commentators reacted to the news.

"Watching MAGA light itself on fire will be soothing and cathartic," former Arizona Republican congressman and veteran Adam Kinzinger wrote on X.

"Thomas Massie for checkmate," White House columnist and podcaster Brian Karem wrote on X.

"The sign will stand as a placeholder," Jesse Lyons, a political commentator with more than 7,000 followers who self-describes as a "contrarian libertarian," wrote on X, sharing a Massie campaign sign on a grass lawn.

"Thomas Massie has officially filed a statement of candidacy, allowing him to begin raising money for a potential 2028 presidential run," Brian Allen, podcast host and political commentator with more than 301,000 followers, wrote on X. "That instantly changes the meaning behind a lot of what’s happening right now. Because Massie is no longer just fighting Trump politically. He’s positioning himself as a possible post-Trump alternative for the faction of the right that: distrusts foreign intervention, hates establishment Republicans, opposes surveillance expansion, views the GOP as drifting too far into loyalty politics, Epstein-class protectors, and fighting foreign wars. The Republican civil war is getting more real by the week."