President Donald Trump laid into Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., in a series of Truth Social posts Tuesday—and threatened to try to primary him—after Massie refused to adhere to Trump’s demands that Republicans unite behind the government funding bill to avert a shutdown ahead of Friday’s deadline.
Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) speaks to reporters as he arrives for a House Republican caucus meeting at … [+] the U.S. Capitol on February 25, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
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Key Facts
Trump called Massie a “GRANSTANDER” and threatened for a second time Tuesday to support a primary against him after Massie vowed to vote against a resolution that would extend the existing government funding plan through September to avoid a government shutdown Friday at midnight, when the current plan expires.
Earlier Tuesday, Trump said Massie—a fiscal hawk who frequently votes against spending legislation backed by the majority of his party—is “too much trouble, and not worth the fight.”
Massie—who voted “no” to approve debate rules Tuesday, a preliminary measure for the final vote expected later in the day—fired back at Trump on X, writing “POTUS is spending his day attacking me and Canada. The difference is Canada will eventually cave,” referring to Trump’s escalating tariff war with the U.S.’s northern neighbor.
Republicans can likely afford to lose just one vote, assuming all Democrats vote against the measure, under the GOP’s slim 218-215 majority in the House.
Several Republicans, including Reps. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas and Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pa, said they were undecided heading into the final vote set for Tuesday afternoon.
Crucial Quote
“Unless I get a lobotomy Monday that causes me to forget what I’ve witnessed the past 12 years, I’ll be a NO on the CR this week,” Massie wrote Sunday on X.
Surprising Fact
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., refused to firmly side with Trump when asked if he would support Massie for reelection in 2026, telling reporters Tuesday he’s “in the incumbent protection program” and calling Massie a “friend” and a “thoughtful guy.” Johnson said Massie will “tell you he’s doing what he thinks is right on this. I just vehemently disagree.”
Tangent
Trump also attacked Massie in 2020, when Massie suggested he might insist on an in-person vote for a Covid-19 relief package, prompting some lawmakers to return to Washington. Trump urged the GOP to “throw Massie out of the Republican Party” at the time, calling him a “third rate Grandstander.” Massie ran uncontested in the 2024 general election and sailed through primaries in 2020 and 2022 to win the general elections with more than 65% of the vote.
Key Background
The House is expected to vote later Tuesday on a bill that would largely extend the fiscal year 2024 budget through the end of September to give lawmakers time to work out a full-year spending plan. The resolution includes a $13 billion cut to nondefense spending and a $6 billion increase in defense spending. Some Republican lawmakers who typically refuse to vote for budget extensions, known as “continuing resolutions,” have expressed a willingness to back the latest proposal, citing the Department of Government Efficiency’s work to identify sweeping cuts to the federal government. Some House Democrats have argued the extension gives the Trump administration broad leeway to redirect government funds and freeze others without guardrails, though some Senate Democratic leaders have expressed openness to the bill, citing fears that a shutdown could prompt an exodus of government workers if they are forced to go weeks without a paycheck during a shutdown.
Further Reading
Government Shutdown Deadline: House Vote Expected Today—As Trump Targets GOP Holdout (Forbes)
