U.S. Rep. Thomas Massie told a Kentucky radio host on Tuesday that his constituents should appreciate that he took a stand last week against the coronavirus stimulus bill instead of giving in and accepting “bribes” that were offered in exchange for dropping his opposition.

Massie did not clarify what in particular he was offered or who made him the offer.

“I’m not going to say exactly what I was offered, but I was offered a lot of things the night before the vote if I would withdraw my insistence on a quorum and a recorded vote," Massie said on 580-WVLK's "Larry Glover Live" radio show. "I don’t think people understand. I’ve received death threats, I’ve received campaign threats, I have been offered inducements and proffered inducements.

"I hope the people can appreciate that I didn’t take any of the bribes, if you will, and I didn’t bow down to any of the threats, and now I have to live with my decision."

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Those death threats were reported to U.S. Capitol Hill Police and the local sheriff in Lewis County, Kentucky, a representative from Massie's office told The Courier Journal.

Massie did the impossible and united Republicans and Democrats alike last week when he stood as the lone vote against a $2 trillion COVID-19 economic relief package.

The congressman had publicly left the option open earlier in the week to call for a full vote on the bill, which would have required a majority of members be present. That forced a number of House colleagues to fly or drive back to Washington, D.C., for Friday's voice vote.

The presiding officer quickly ruled a quorum of representatives had been in attendance and approved the bill, which was later signed by President Donald Trump. But Massie, who has repeatedly spoken out against stay-at-home measures and business closures amid the pandemic, raised plenty of eyebrows with the move.

Trump ripped the Kentucky Republican in a series of tweets, calling Massie a "third rate Grandstander" who was only interested in publicity, and political figures on both sides of the aisle — including Sen. John Kerry, a Democrat — joined the president in their disappointment with the four-term congressman.

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Massie has pushed back, saying that he is in favor of helping people during this health and economic crisis but that the measure would spike the national debt and would not do enough to support American families. (He also joked in a Politico article that he's "at least second rate" when it comes to grandstanding.)

Massie isn't expecting to campaign with Trump any time soon, he said on "Larry Glover Live," but the disagreement "may be the beginning of a good relationship." He pointed out that former U.S. Rep. Mark Meadows publicly clashed with the president years ago and now serves as Trump's chief of staff. He also pushed back on the idea that he acted for publicity or other reasons.

"This is a funny thing, people say I did this for political reasons — you show me how this benefited me politically," Massie said. "I can’t find a way in which it does. I did it for principled reasons.”

Earlier:Massie touts fundraising haul after seeking to slow virus relief package

Lucas Aulbach can be reached at laulbach@courier-journal.com, 502-582-4649 or on Twitter @LucasAulbach. Support strong local journalism and subscribe: courier-journal.com/lucasa.