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Yahoo
19 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump allies taking on Thomas Massie after Kentucky Republican's recent opposition to the president
Donald Trump's allies have launched a super PAC that will seek to oust Rep. Thomas Massie, a Kentucky Republican who opposed the president's domestic policy bill and criticized his strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities. The move to target Massie demonstrates Trump and his allies' willingness to unleash his well-funded political organization on members of their own party who buck the president's agenda. The new group is called MAGA KY, according to a statement of organization filed with the Federal Election Commission. It shares a treasurer with Trump's main super PAC, MAGA Inc. Axios first reported the super PAC's formation, which the outlet said would be overseen by two key Trump allies: Chris LaCivita, who served as co-manager of Trump's 2024 campaign, and pollster Tony Fabrizio. Trump, LaCivita and James Blair, the president's deputy chief of staff for legislative affairs, all have criticized Massie on social media in recent days. Trump called the Kentucky Republican a 'negative force' and a 'simple minded 'grandstander'' on his Truth Social platform after Massie criticized Trump's strikes as 'unconstitutional.' Massie was one of just two Republicans in the House to vote against the sweeping tax and spending bill that is the centerpiece of the president's domestic policy agenda. In recent days, he emerged as a vocal opponent of Trump's decision to bomb Iran's nuclear facilities without congressional authorization. 'I'm here to represent the base of the MAGA party that got Trump elected,' Massie told CNN's Manu Raju on 'Inside Politics Sunday.' 'Most of us were tired of wars in the Middle East and Eastern Europe, and we were promised that we would not be engaging in another one.' The libertarian-leaning Republican recently joined Democrats in sponsoring a resolution to rein in the executive's power to go to war with Iran. Massie noted that US actions in Iraq and Afghanistan in the 2000s were 'at least' debated in Congress at the time with requests from then-President George W. Bush. 'It should have been declarations of war, but at least they did an Authorization of Use of Military Force,' Massie said. 'We haven't had that. This has been turned upside down.' On Monday evening, however, Massie indicated to journalists that he would not continue to push for the resolution if the ceasefire between Israel and Iran announced earlier that day by Trump holds. He argued, however, that Trump still violated the Constitution. 'There was another way to do this where you could still get the credit, where you do it constitutionally,' he said. Massie, who has represented his northern Kentucky seat since 2012, said he doesn't think Trump can knock him out by campaigning for a GOP primary opponent. Trump's 'endorsement's worth about 10 points, and I can sustain that,' Massie told Raju on Monday. Massie has vocally opposed multiple initiatives of Trump's second term. The lawmaker previously called the White House's insistence that Trump's major policy bill would not raise the US deficit 'a joke' — a comment that drew the president's ire. 'I don't think Thomas Massie understands government. I think he's a grandstander, frankly. … I think he should be voted out of office,' Trump told reporters ahead of a May meeting with House Republicans. Massie was also the sole GOP lawmaker who didn't vote for Mike Johnson as House speaker in January, despite a Trump intervention and encouragement from the president that Republicans needed to work as a team. CNN's Alison Main, Sarah Davis and Shania Shelton contributed to this report.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
GOP Senator Breaks Ranks With Trump On Key Issue: ‘If We're Not Careful...'
Sen. John Curtis (R-Utah) was not among the few Republican lawmakers who rebuked President Donald Trump over his emergency tariffs on Canada earlier this year, but nonetheless he delivered a warning over the weekend about the potentially devastating consequences of the president's tariff policies. The GOP senator sat down with CNN's Manu Raju for a wide-ranging discussion Sunday about the current state of the Republican Party, and when asked about which of Trump's many controversial actions has caused him the most concern, Curtis spoke plainly. 'If we're not careful, we'll destroy small businesses with tariffs,' he told the 'Inside Politics Sunday' host. 'And I understand, you have to play the long game with President Trump and tariffs, and I'm not one to step in and out-guess his negotiating style or technique.' 'But I do think we have to be very, very careful with our small businesses, particularly when it comes to these tariffs,' continued Curtis, who had just finished giving a speech on the Senate floor about the need for greater transparency in government. Trump announced a sweeping 10% baseline tariff last month on almost all imports to the U.S., with levies on China set even higher. While the president argues this could revive American manufacturing, economists have warned of a potential recession, or worse. Elected last year to fill former Sen. Mitt Romney's (R-Utah) seat, Curtishas had mixed reactions to Trump. While he didn't back the 'Make America Great Again' leader in the Republican primaries and has slammed Trump for encouraging 'an act of terrorism' in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot, Curtis voted against both of Trump's impeachments while serving in the U.S. House — and offered him some praise on Sunday. 'It's remarkable what's happened at the border,' he told Raju. 'We saw an incredible inflation report a couple days ago. We're seeing some stability internationally that I credit President Trump with. And so, there's clearly two sides to this.' Curtis was also critical of the so-called Department of Government Efficiency, however, which has targeted thousands of federal workers and agencies with the stated aim of cutting wasteful spending, under the direction of billionaire Trump adviser Elon Musk. Musk spent a fortune to help reelect Trump and, as a 'special government employee' tapped to root out federal waste, fraud and financial abuse, wielded a symbolic chainsaw onstage earlier this year. He also asked government employees to justify their jobs via email. Curtis is in favor of tackling the U.S. debt and deficit, but told Raju on Sunday this 'doesn't mean we shouldn't have compassion' while laying off federal workers, or understand that 'perhaps that's the worst day of their life.' 'I do think we need to make cuts, and I think DOGE has opened their eyes to some doors that are very problematic, but having run a business, having been mayor, I know this goes over a lot better if you have a dose of compassion,' the moderate conservative argued. GOP Sen. Spills On Trump Qatari Jet Plan: 'Probably Shouldn't Be Breaking That Story' Trump Heads To Capitol Hill To Convince GOP Holdouts To Back His 'Big, Beautiful' Bill Trump Drops Crude Line At Kennedy Center Dinner In Bizarre Rant About 2020 Election
Yahoo
18-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Watch: Sen. John Curtis tells CNN where he agrees, disagrees with President Trump
Utah Sen. John Curtis sat down with CNN anchor Manu Raju on 'Inside Politics Sunday,' where he discussed the need to bring down the debt and his thoughts on the tariffs levied by President Donald Trump. Curtis spoke to Raju just after his first Senate floor speech on Wednesday, where he said lawmakers need to tell the truth about the need to reform Social Security and Medicare. Curtis told Raju Washington is 'not being honest' about the need to reform entitlements like Social Security and Medicare in order to tackle the deficit and the debt. 'We're equally not being honest when we weaponize fear, as if somehow we're going to take away the benefits from our vulnerable, our seniors,' he said. 'We're not, and reforming these programs doesn't mean that we have to take those away.' If cuts aren't made now, they will have to be more 'draconian' later, he said. On the possibility Trump's 'big, beautiful' tax cut package making its way through Congress could add $5 trillion to the debt over the next decade, Curtis said he is not willing to add that much to the debt. Curtis spoke to Raju ahead of news that Moody's, a credit rating firm, downgraded the nation's rating from its highest level because of concerns about debt. 'I think not only myself, but a number of us in the Senate have been very clear, right?' he said. 'We have to reduce the deficit. And quite frankly, the numbers we're talking about are small fractions of what we really need to be taking a look at as a country.' Curtis said that's not how things are done in Utah. 'It's not the way we run our government there. It's not the way we run our families. It's not the way we run our businesses,' he said. Raju asked Curtis which of Trump's policies caused him the most concern. 'If we're not careful, we'll destroy small businesses with tariffs,' he said. 'And I understand you have to play the long game with President Trump and tariffs, and I'm not one to step in and out guess his negotiating style or technique, but I do think we have to be very, very careful with our small businesses, particularly when it comes to these tariffs,' he said. Curtis added that he thinks what small businesses want is 'consistency' On negotiations over the end of the war in Ukraine, Curtis said, 'Putin is not our friend,' referring to Russian President Vladimir Putin. But, Curtis had praise for Trump on his approach to border security and his foreign policy. 'It's remarkable what's happened at the border,' he said. 'We saw an incredible inflation report a couple days ago. We're seeing some some stability internationally that I credit President Trump with. And so there's clearly two sides to this,' he said. Speaking about Trump's decision to accept a jet from Qatar that would be his Air Force One, Curtis said it was best to stay away from the appearance of doing something improper. On the Trump administration saying it might suspend habeas corpus — the right a person has to a court appearance if arrested — for migrants in the country illegally, Curtis said that is something Congress would need to decide. 'So Mr. President, bring me your case,' he said. 'Make a case to me. But I will tell you, as I judge that case, I'm going to be thinking in my mind, what if this is a Democrat president coming after something that I think is important?' Curtis said Congress has abdicated its responsibility in balancing the budget, and that opened the door for Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency to come in and make cuts. 'We need to cut. That doesn't mean we shouldn't have compassion,' he said, especially when it comes to how federal employees are laid off. Raju also asked Curtis if it was possible to be independent in the GOP today. 'I actually think we serve the president best when we act and function more like a board of directors,' Curtis said. 'You wouldn't want a board of directors to rubber stamp the president of a company, right? We do our job best when we tell President Trump what we see, what we think, what we feel. We're another set of eyes for him and a set of hands,' he said. 'And I really think the best way to make President Trump successful is to let him know when we disagree, and he can accept that,' Curtis said. He said he thinks Trump values thoughtful conversations about issues, despite stereotypes to the contrary. Curtis urged his Republican colleagues to be thoughtful about cuts they were making related to the Inflation Reduction Act that affect green energy. 'I care deeply about leaving the Earth better than we found it,' he said. He also spoke about his visit to the National Museum of African American History and Culture before his remarks on Wednesday. 'We do need to focus on discrimination, we do need to focus on bigotry,' he said, 'and I think a reset is really important. 'Somebody's not a bad person if they don't know how to talk about this, and I think we really got to the point where you feel uncomfortable if you didn't even know how to talk about this,' he said.
Yahoo
16-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
CNN Compares AOC's Rise to Post-Obama Republican Party: ‘Best Represents Democratic Voters'
A recent CNN poll showing Congresswoman Alexandria Ocascio-Cortez is gaining popularity among Democrats does not come as much of a surprise, Axios reporter Alex Isenstadt said on 'Inside Politics Sunday' this morning. Isenstadt explained that in some ways, AOC's political rise 'reminds me of what happened to Republicans after Obama's election in 2008.' After he was asked if there is 'a path for AOC in 2028,' Isenstadt said, 'Well, if that's what the party wants, then potentially … you know, her rise kind of reminds me of what happened to Republicans after Obama's election in 2008 where it was the loudest voices of the Republican Party, the Tea Party, that really gained traction at a time when the Republican Party was lost. 'And maybe Democrats now find themselves in a similar situation and AOC maybe she best represents Democratic voters on it,' Isenstadt added. Watch the segment below: Washington Post reporter Paul Kane agreed. 'Think of it this way,' he said. 'If you're a voter 30 and under, you've only participated in three elections, two of them Donald Trump won, one of them Joe Biden won. They're all over 70 years old when they won. There [are] millions of voters out there craving something new, something younger, something closer to them.' A new SSRS poll released March 16 revealed the majority of Democrats polled believe the party needs to do more to 'stop the Republican agenda,' CNN revealed. When asked to name 'the Democratic leader they feel 'best reflects the core values' of the party, 10% of respondents named Ocasio-Cortez (9% named former vice president Kamala Harris, 8% named Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and 6% named House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries). The poll was conducted between March 6 and March 9, days before Chuck Schumer and other party leaders voted with Republicans in favor of the GOP's spending bill. The move prompted outcry from House Democrats and members of the party across the country. 'I think there is a deep sense of outrage and betrayal and this is not just progressive Democrats — this is across the board, the entire party,' Ocasio-Cortez told reporters Thursday. 'I think it is a huge slap in the face.' Watch the clip from CNN in the video above. The post CNN Compares AOC's Rise to Post-Obama Republican Party: 'Best Represents Democratic Voters' | Video appeared first on TheWrap.
