President Donald Trump has been on the warpath against Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) over recent months because of the lawmaker’s opposition to the Big Beautiful Bill and the recent airstrikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities.
The president has threatened to back a primary challenge to Massie to remove him from his seat on multiple occasions.
Massie has been a leading critic of the “One Big Beautiful Bill” that Trump and Republicans are trying to pass in Congress. He pointed out that the legislation would “add $20 trillion of federal debt over 10 years” and “it will increase the price of the $36 trillion of debt we already have.”
The big beautiful bill should cut $1 of spending for every $1 of tax cuts.
— Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) April 11, 2025
Unfortunately, Congress is playing Santa Claus by delivering massive tax cuts without significant spending cuts.
Most teenagers don’t believe in Santa Claus, so why do grown adults believe this can work?
But Massie’s disagreements with Trump aren’t limited to the national debt. He also opposed the president’s decision to launch airstrikes on Iran without obtaining congressional approval.
He recently introduced a bipartisn War Powers Resolution affirming that the president must consult with Congress before taking military action. “Under the War Powers Act, the President is required to withdraw from hostilities in Iran within 60 days (+30 day ext.) unless he gets a vote of Congress,” the lawmaker wrote in a post on X.
Our War Powers Resolution has 57 cosponsors.
— Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) June 23, 2025
Whether you like it or not Congress will be voting on U.S. hostilities in Iran.
Under the War Powers Act, the President is required to withdraw from hostilities in Iran within 60 days (+30 day ext.) unless he gets a vote of Congress.
In a recent post on Truth Social, Trump excoriated Massie, calling him a “Third Rate Congressman” and saying he is “actually very bad for the Constitution” because of his opposition to the Big Beautiful Bill. “He votes, ‘NO!’ on everything, because he thinks it makes him cool, but he’s not cool, he’s a LOSER!” Trump wrote.
In another lengthy post, Trump claimed Massie “is not MAGA” and that “MAGA doesn’t want him, doesn’t know him, and doesn’t respect him.”
“He is a negative force who almost always Votes ‘NO,’ no matter how good something may be,” Trump complained. He’s a simple minded “grandstander” who thinks it’s good politics for Iran to have the highest level Nuclear weapon, while at the same time yelling ‘DEATH TO AMERICA’ at every chance they get.”
The president went on to state that “we will have a wonderful American Patriot running against him in the Republican Primar, and I’ll be out in Kentucky campaigning really hard” and that “MAGA is not about lazy grandstanding nonproductive politicians, of which Thomas Massie is definitely one.”
Massie appeared to take Trump’s criticisms and threats in stride. In a post on X responding to Trump’s post, he noted that the president “declared so much War on me today it should require an Act of Congress.”
.@realDonaldTrump declared so much War on me today it should require an Act of Congress. #sassywithmassie pic.twitter.com/ZrMiIKcAxu
— Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) June 23, 2025
The question is: Can Trump actually oust Massie?
The data suggests that such an endeavor wouldn’t be as easy as Trump might think. Massie is quite popular in his district. During the 2024 GOP primary, three different news outlets, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, and Ballotpedia, reported that Massie won 75.9 percent of the vote, handily defeating his two opponents.
Moreover, many hardcore conservatives and libertarians like that Massie votes “no” on most legislation. He was elected for his limited government approach to legislating. Indeed, his popularity seems to have increased despite the war of words with Trump.
Of course, nothing is impossible — especially if Trump is involved. The president wields a considerable level of influence over the GOP voting public. If he were to personally showup in Massie’s district and encourage voters to support his chosen candidate, there is a chance — however slight — that he might be able to pull it off.
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