Trump ally who served prison time running against CT congresswoman. ‘He’s lived it,’ GOP leader says.

Business owner Michael Massey, who became a Donald Trump fan while serving an 11-year prison sentence, is campaigning hard to take a place in the U.S. House of Representatives.His goal is to unseat longtime 3rd district U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro.Massey, 44, was endorsed at the Republican Party convention, besting a candidate from Stratford who had enough votes to primary, but chose not to, State GOP Chairman Ben Proto said.Massey considers himself part of the Urban Republican movement and his platform, in part, proposes financial incentives to constituents for certain lifestyles, including waiting to have babies and for parents whose children excel in school.Part of his plan also includes giving inmates a chance to earn money so they have savings upon re-entering society.“When people are this broke, money is the motivator,” he said, of incentives.Massey believes most politicians, including Democrats who have historically served the district, are out of touch with the everyday struggles people face in urban areas, he said. That includes extreme economic hardship and lack of role models, both of which lead to drug dealing and other crimes, he said.Massey served 11 years for a 2008 armed bank robbery, using the time to turn his attitude and life around, he said.Proto said Massey brings something to the race as an African American man who grew up in New Haven, which comprises a large part of the third district.“Michael brings a kind of unique perspective and experience to the race,” Proto said.He said Massey lived the the struggle every day, the struggle Proto says “career politicians brought upon” the community.Proto said Massey has a “history that’s necessarily the best,” but he learned, paid his debt to society and didn’t repeat his behaviors when released.“It’s one thing for politicians to talk crime, recidivism rates under the gold dome in Washington,” and another to have “lived it,” Proto said.The GOP leader said DeLauro has served more than 30 years and “I don’t know if our founding fathers ” expected people to make a career out of a Congressional seat,New Haven Republican Town Chairman John Carlson said he’s only known Massey a short time, but he “identified with him immediately.”“He’s honest, transparent, has integrity, and is brave,” Carlson said. “Michael is a New Haven guy who rings of authenticity. As someone who has lived here for over 50 years, I appreciate and enjoy when our own people rise up and make their voices heard. It’s inspirational.”Carlson said Massey brings a “varied life experience to the table, which is what we need down in DC.”He said politicians who’ve led sheltered lives “have no clue as to what the average person goes through on a day to day basis.”Massey contends the Democrats who usually win in urban neighborhoods have never lived those problems, so they aren’t in touch with the people.Michael Massey of New Haven is endorsed by the Connecticut GOP to run against longtime Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro in the third district.Massey admits his opponent DeLauro is “powerful” after more than three decades in office, but said only 40-45 percent of New Haven votes at all.He’s looking at the 55-60 percent who typically don’t vote, Massey said.DeLauro’s office did not return a request for comment on Massey’s candidacy.Instead of knocking on doors to campaign, Massey is doing it by holding big events, in his case, cookouts in parks. The goal is not only to get votes for himself, but to get other urban candidates involved in Republican politics.“I don’t believe there’s ever been a politician like me,” Massey said. “I feel we need to be represented on Capital Hill.”Massey and his wife, Kenia Massey, own Black Corner convenience store in New Haven, where they’ve also created a meal program and other opportunities for young people in the community.Massey said he works tirelessly in the community to be the positive role model he never had.Massey did a lot of thinking during those 11 years in jail, including realizing he had no good role models growing up, only drug dealers and other criminals on the streets, he said.Massey said when his parents found out he was drug dealing at a younger age they didn’t flinch or say, “no,” so he didn’t know it was wrong. It was a way of life.It was while in jail that Massey had a turn around in general attitude and also became a Donald Trump fan when Trump was running for office the first time around.Massey said he watched Trump and Republicans talk about how to be better businessmen through hard work. Massey realized that option is for everyone, including people like him, he said.Massey also recalls how there were two television options in prison: Fox News, which they called “White TV” and CNN, referred to as “Black TV.”An older prisoner friend encouraged Massey to watch Trump’s speech on Fox, where he heard every word for himself before CNN could “spin it,” Massey said.He said the CNN version was racist, divisive and just picked out bits and pieces of the speech. “I realized we were being manipulated by the press,” Massey said.He said he likes that Trump wants to “invest in Americans,” by taking money out of Washington and giving it to the states.“He wants to invest in America and Congress holds the purse strings,” Massey said. “You’re only going to hear the bad things about DT, but his policies work for us.”Proto said he sees why Massey connects with Trump, as during his presidency unemployment rates were low for African American men, Latinos and women.“He (Massey) sees that economic opportunities are one of the keys to breaking that cycle that African Americans have experienced,” Proto said. “The economic opportunities were much better (under Trump).”Among the ideas Massey has proposed in his platform are:
“Baby Bonuses” as he calls them would give $5,000 to women over 18 years of age, and $10,000 for married couples. This is aimed at creating financial incentive for people to wait to have a child until they are adults and “increases the likelihood of men becoming fathers instead of baby daddies,” Massey said.
Instead of giving young adults who are vulnerable a “criminal record,” Massey proposes placing those at risk in housing units that provide jobs.
Creating a prison workforce where inmates are paid $5 per hour for a 40 hour week so they can leave prison with money to restart life, reducing the recidivism rate.
Reallocating the Department of Education’s $80 billion budget to states, with a mandate to distribute cash bonuses to parents whose children excel academically.
Massey said most people in urban communities don’t have time to delve into politics because they’re too strapped with working, caring for kids and other responsibilities.“There life is so mundane,” Massey said. “Every week you’re spending your last dollar to get by.”Massey said the media always blames Republicans when things go wrong in cities, so there’s no accountability on the part of Democrats serving.Massey said he became interested in politics after analyzing “how my life got so messed up.” He researched the requirements to run for Congress and found they are minimal and don’t even require a high school degree.In reality, however, most elected officials went to college, landed a good job and never lived an impoverished life, he said.While Democrats may allocate money toward helping with programs to solve some problems, most candidates haven’t lived it, he said.Leaving prison broke and being put into the same crime-ridden community is a recipe for disaster or recidivism, he said.Republican Michael Massey, a fierce supporter of Donald Trump, is challenging longtime Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro in November’s election.“It’s difficult for a 30-year-old man to come home with nothing and sleep on his mother’s couch,” Massey said. He said most inmates when released are “angry, strong.”He contends crime is directly related to a need for money, hence, his system of financial incentives to cure longtime ills.One of the biggest aspects of Massey said he hears from people he meets in the community is that they often say he doesn’t “talk like a politician,” he said.“That’s why Trump did so well. His talk, his mannerisms,” Massey said.” “These jobs are popularity contests and this is how Trump beat a lot of popular Republicans.”
Originally Published: July 13, 2024 at 5:00 a.m.

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