President Trump said Monday he will “lead the charge” to oust Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) for his refusal to support Republicans’ government funding bill.
Why it matters: A doctrinaire libertarian, Massie has been a persistent thorn in the side for both Trump and House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) by defecting on key votes and imperiling major GOP legislation.
- “Congressman Thomas Massie, of beautiful Kentucky, is an automatic ‘NO’ vote on just about everything,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social.
- Trump said Massie “SHOULD BE PRIMARIED, and I will lead the charge against him.” He compared the Kentucky Republican to “Liz Chaney [sic],” the Republican former Jan. 6 committee member whom he helped oust.
Yes, but: Trump has previously tried unsuccessfully to oust Massie, who signaled on Monday he is not afraid of another Trump-backed primary challenger.
- “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 said in a post on X.
- Massie has said he will oppose the short-term government spending measure because it keeps federal funding at 2024 levels without enshrining the cuts DOGE has made.
Zoom out: With a roughly two-seat majority, Johnson has faced a nailbiter on virtually every major vote of the last three months due to Massie’s refusal to be a reliable GOP vote.
