Representative Thomas Massie, 54, and Carolyn Grace Moffa, 36, changed into work clothes and butchered chickens on their farm immediately after marrying in Kentucky on Oct. 19. They later hosted a larger Pennsylvania celebration attended by GOP colleagues and served raw milk and peach margaritas after guests signed a waiver. Massie — who remarried after the death of his first wife — said he still grieves, and he called former President Trump’s public mockery of the marriage bullying.
Rep. Thomas Massie and New Wife Changed into Work Clothes — Then Butchered Chickens Right After Their Wedding
Representative Thomas Massie, 54, and Carolyn Grace Moffa, 36, changed into work clothes and butchered chickens on their farm immediately after marrying in Kentucky on Oct. 19. They later hosted a larger Pennsylvania celebration attended by GOP colleagues and served raw milk and peach margaritas after guests signed a waiver. Massie — who remarried after the death of his first wife — said he still grieves, and he called former President Trump’s public mockery of the marriage bullying.
10:33 AM, 11/18/2025Politics
Rep. Thomas Massie and his wife processed chickens on the farm immediately after their wedding
Representative Thomas Massie (R‑Ky.), 54, told The Cincinnati Enquirer that he and Carolyn Grace Moffa, 36, changed out of their wedding attire into work clothes and butchered chickens on their farm after legally marrying in Kentucky on Oct. 19.
"We put on work clothes, she left her veil on, and we butchered chickens," Massie said, describing how Moffa helped him bleed, scald and pluck the birds. The couple later held a larger celebration in Pennsylvania, Moffa's home state, which was attended by Republican members of Congress including Marjorie Taylor Greene, Jim Jordan, Warren Davidson and Victoria Spartz.
At the reception they served raw milk and margaritas made with frozen peaches from their farm; Massie said guests were asked to sign a waiver accepting responsibility if anyone became ill.
"Carolyn achieved something most people never could: she got 'Mr. No' to say yes," their pastor quipped at the November ceremony, Massie recalled. "I doubled over laughing; we were all cracking up."
Massie — known for frequently breaking with Republican leadership on votes and positions — remarried more than a year after his first wife, his high‑school sweetheart Rhonda, died at 51. He told The Enquirer he still grieves her loss and that questions about the length of his bereavement have been painful.
After the couple announced the marriage, former President Donald Trump mocked Massie on Truth Social, calling him a "LOSER" and referencing his record of voting against party leadership. Massie told ABC's This Week that he viewed the post as bullying and said he believes Trump was likely upset about not being invited to the ceremony.
The image of the newlyweds trading formal wear for work clothes and returning to farm chores has become the most talked‑about detail of their nuptials, underscoring their rural lifestyle and a practical, unorthodox approach to the celebration.