Skip to content

Thomas Massie Talks Tesla

Massie is seen in a reflection on the back of his Tesla pointing to his "Stand With Rand" magnetic sign. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call)
Massie is seen in a reflection on the back of his Tesla pointing to his "Stand With Rand" magnetic sign. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call)

When Rep. Thomas Massie drove up to the Capitol to support his Kentucky GOP colleague Sen. Rand Paul’s bid to halt provisions of the Patriot Act, the congressman’s car turned heads.  

Massie drives a sleek black Tesla — the electric car from entrepreneur Elon Musk’s automaker. He explained that unlike traditional gasoline-powered automobiles, his transportation of choice will effectively run on coal, a natural resource that has long driven the Kentucky economy.  

But Massie’s timber-frame house, for which he cut and milled his own lumber , runs on solar power and exists off the grid, literally. So, he cannot charge his Tesla at home while there’s a lot of other stuff running at the same time.  

Amash and Paul approach Massie's Tesla leaving the Senate's Sunday session. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call)
Amash and Paul approach Massie’s Tesla leaving the Senate’s Sunday session. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call)

The car has a “Friend of Coal” Kentucky license plate and a “Stand With Rand” magnetic sign. And the license plate number? “NDFED.” That’s another area of common ground between Massie and Paul. So, it was no surprise when Massie formally endorsed the commonwealth’s junior senator for president at a rally over the weekend.  

When the Senate’s votes finished for Sunday evening, with Paul assured that his actions would lead to a lapse in the three surveillance powers, including the bulk collection of phone records by the National Security Agency, Paul and Rep. Justin Amash, R-Mich., strolled across the East Front with Massie to the spot where the Tesla was parked and the three lawmakers drove off together.  

The 114th: CQ Roll Call’s Guide to the New Congress Get breaking news alerts and more from Roll Call in your inbox or on your iPhone.

Recent Stories

Cole considered early favorite to win House Appropriations gavel

Joseph Lieberman, an iconoclast who frustrated the Democratic Party, dies at 82

Officials: Baltimore bridge price tag could be at least $2 billion

Race to House majority runs through the 10 Toss-ups

Kuster will not seek reelection in New Hampshire

Appeals court extends hold on Texas deportation law