(José Niño, Headline USA) President Donald Trump wants Rep. Thomas Massie, R-KY, out of office.
On Monday, Donald Trump launched a scathing attack on Massie in a post on his social media platform Truth Social. Trump promised to “lead the charge” to unseat Massie in a primary challenge. This threat came after Massie went public about his plan to vote against the Republican’ short-term government funding bill ahead of a potential shutdown on Friday.
Trump observed that “Congressman Thomas Massie, from beautiful Kentucky, is an automatic ‘NO’ vote on just about everything, despite the fact that he has always voted for Continuing Resolutions in the past.”
For Massie’s decision to vote no on this bill, Trump announced that the Kentucky congressman “SHOULD BE PRIMARIED, and I will lead the charge against him.”
The president even likened Massie to former Representative Liz Cheney, describing him as “just another GRANDSTANDER, who’s too much trouble, and not worth the fight.”
Trump then called for challengers to step up against Massie, “The people of Kentucky won’t stand for it, just watch. DO I HAVE ANY TAKERS???”
Trump’s criticism came after thanking the House Freedom Caucus for supporting the stopgap funding proposal and Speaker Mike Johnson’s attempts to prevent a government shutdown. This attack marks another instance of conflict between Trump and Massie, as Trump had previously taken the congressman to task in 2020, labeling him a “third-rate Grandstander” and calling for him to be kicked out of the Republican Party for delaying a vote on a COVID-19 spending bill.
The Kentucky Congressman responded to Trump and GOP political strategist Chris LaCivita’s threats by stating:
Someone thinks they can control my voting card by threatening my re-election. Guess what? Doesn’t work on me. Three times I’ve had a challenger who tried to be more MAGA than me. None busted 25% because my constituents prefer transparency and principles over blind allegiance.
Massie is a staunch fiscal conservative and a notable skeptic of the United States government’s intimate relationship with Israel.
During an interview with Tucker Carlson on The Tucker Carlson Show on June 7, 2024, Massie revealed that every Republican in Congress has an “AIPAC babysitter.” He explained that these “babysitters” are representatives from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) who maintain close contact with members of Congress to influence their votes on legislation concerning the Jewish state and making sure they vote in a pro-Israel manner.
José Niño is the deputy editor of Headline USA. Follow him at x.com/JoseAlNino
