Trump vows to “lead the charge” to unseat GOP Rep. Massie

Rep. Thomas Massie and Marjorie Taylor Greene talk to each other on the House floor on March 4, 2025. Photo: Win McNamee/Getty Images.

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.

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