U.S. Congressman Thomas Massie, R-Ky., said he would “seriously consider” a position in President-elect Donald Trump’s administration, but hasn’t been approached by his transition team.
In a phone interview with The Daily Independent on Tuesday, Massie responded to rumors claiming he’s under consideration for a top post in the Trump administration.
“If there’s any truth to the rumor, it’s coming from his team, not mine,” said Massie. “[Trump] has assembled a very impressive cabinet so far, and I would seriously consider working in his administration.”
A report by The Liberty Conservative, an online magazine, surfaced Monday stating that the Trump team is considering Massie for director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy, a position commonly referred to as Science Advisor to the President.
The author cited a “confidential source on the Trump transition team.”
Austin Petersen, a former candidate for the Libertarian Party’s 2016 nomination for President of the United States, founded the website The Libertarian Republic which also posted a story on Monday linking Massie to consideration for the Science Advisor position.
Petersen told The Daily Independent the source of the story is on the Trump transition team and agreed to speak to the online magazine “only on the condition of anonymity.”
Science Advisor to the President is considered the closest position to a cabinet-level role in science and technology. The appointee would spearhead nationwide initiatives related to science and tech, have increased access to Trump and work almost exclusively in the White House complex with the Office of Science and Technology Policy staff.
Massie believes he'd be qualified for the position if considered, but hadn't given it much thought previously.
The libertarian-leaning conservative said he’s even more intrigued by the idea of serving in the cabinet as secretary of energy.
Like the outgoing energy secretary, Ernest Moniz, Massie has ties to Massachusetts Institute of Technology, or MIT. Moniz, a nuclear physicist, was a longtime physics and engineering professor at MIT before his appointment to head the U.S. Department of Energy in 2013.
Massie, 45, earned a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering and master’s in mechanical engineering from MIT, where he also completed independent studies on energy and energy solutions.
He now serves on three House committees, including the Science, Space and Technology Committee and the Subcommittee on Energy.
When away from Washington, the U.S. representative from Kentucky’s 4th Congressional District resides in Lewis County in a home powered by solar panels, and noted he drives a Tesla with a “’friends of coal’ license plate.”
On climate change, Massie said he’s “skeptical of the theory that humans have had a large effect” on environmental shifts and the topic has “become a shouting match in the public discourse.”
Massie acknowledged the Earth, which has never been hotter in recorded history, is warming.
“But it was warming in pre-industrial times,” he said. “The question isn’t whether the Earth is warming, but is the Earth warming at a quicker rate because of human involvement?”
The U.S. should work toward energy independence, Massie said, as it makes “us more secure when we aren’t relying on hostile nations.”
Texas oil tycoon Harold Hamm is rumored to be under consideration for energy secretary, along with Venture capitalist Robert Grady and North Dakota Rep. Kevin Cramer, according to NPR.
Trump’s transition staff could not be reached for comment on the validity of the president elect’s interest in Massie for the science advisor post.
Massie warmed to Trump this summer after previously referring to him as a “big middle finger to Washington, D.C.” during an appearance at a luncheon in Ashland. At that time, Massie was campaigning for Sen. Rand Paul, Ky., who dropped out of the presidential race in February.
Trump received Massie’s endorsement after the two met in Washington. Massie said he’s impressed by Trump’s business dealings and believes the president elect been unfairly judged.
“I think the media in general is underestimating [Trump’s] ability to be a great president,” Massie said.
If the Trump transition team was to tap him for a position, Massie said he wouldn’t be eager to forfeit the seat he just won for a third time in landslide fashion. He’s also keen on serving his home district in a Republican-heavy House as a more seasoned congressman.
“At this point I’ve accumulated a fair amount of seniority,” he said. “This is an opportunity for the Republican Party, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity where we have a majority in the House, Senate and we control the White House. We can’t blow it.”
Rumor: Thomas Massie to head Trump's Science and Technology office
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