Latest news with #MAGAKY
Yahoo
9 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
9 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Speaker Johnson stops short of backing Massie for reelection amid Trump feud
Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) stopped short of endorsing Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) for reelection on Tuesday, days after President Trump threatened to back a primary challenger for the GOP lawmaker — the latest jab in the long-running feud between the two Republicans. The lukewarm response follows days of Trump attacking Massie on social media after the Kentucky Republican voted against the party's 'big, beautiful bill' last month and said the president's strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities over the weekend were 'not Constitutional.' On Sunday, however, Trump escalated his rhetoric, vowing to campaign 'hard' for a primary challenger to Massie, who has served in the House since 2012. Asked on Tuesday if he will defend Massie against a primary challenger, Johnson weighed his commitments as Speaker with his understanding of Trump's anger with the Kentucky Republican. 'That's the hardest question I had this morning, and I'm being totally honest with you,' Johnson said. 'Look, the Speaker's job, my role with my party cap on is I'm leader of my party here, and the Speaker leads the incumbent protection program, right, that's what we call it. I gotta make sure everybody gets reelected. I travel the country nonstop, relentlessly, raising money to ensure that that happens.' 'But I certainly understand the president's frustration about the colleague you named, and he and I talk about that quite a bit,' he continued. 'Can't quite understand what the rationale is but if you're here and you're wearing one team's jersey and every single time you vote with the other team, people begin to question what your motive is and what your philosophy is and why you're so consistently opposed to the platform, the agenda of your party.' It remains unclear who will primary Massie, but the effort to find a candidate is ramping up. Chris LaCivita, Trump's 2024 co-campaign manager, and Tony Fabrizio, a Trump pollster, launched a new super PAC that is aimed at unseating Massie. 'MAGA KY was formed for the specific purpose of firing Thomas Massie – His constituents will soon learn that he prefers the politics and policy of AOC and the radical left – over President Trump,' LaCivita told NewsNation, referring to progressive Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) by her moniker. Massie, for his part, has not flinched amid the increased pressure. On Monday, he said, 'I have the Trump antibodies,' likely referring to previous scuffles he has gotten into with Trump; and on Tuesday, after Johnson stopped short of offering support for the incumbent, Massie reposted Trump's May 2022 statement endorsing him. 'For those who want to know what @realDonaldTrump really thinks of me, this should clear things up…' he wrote on social platform X with the old endorsement. Trump and Massie have historically had a complicated relationship. In March 2020, Massie tried to force a vote on the CARES Act COVID-19 stimulus bill, which forced members to return to Washington to avoid a delay in passing the legislation — drawing the ire of Trump. In August 2022, Trump endorsed Massie before his primary, calling the Kentucky Republican 'a first-rate Defender of the Constitution.' In April 2023, Massie endorsed Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) in the GOP presidential primary, sparking intense anger from Trump. In October 2024, after DeSantis had dropped out, Massie endorsed Trump. Trump's and Johnson's frustrations with Massie are resurfacing as the Kentucky Republican voted against key party legislation, supported an effort to oust the Speaker last year and, most recently, sharply criticized the president's strike in Iran. Massie is co-leading a bipartisan war powers resolution with Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) that would prevent the U.S. from additional intervention in Iran, an effort that Johnson has staked opposition to. Massie, however, may hold back the resolution now that Trump announced a ceasefire between Israel and Iran. Trump unloaded on Massie as recently as Tuesday morning, calling him a 'Third Rate Congressman' and a 'LOSER.' Johnson, additionally, told reporters: 'We never agree these days; I'm not sure where his philosophy is coming from.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump-aligned PAC launched to unseat Massie in Kentucky
A new super PAC aligned with President Trump is aiming to unseat Rep. Thomas Massie, a Kentucky Republican whose opposition to key administration moves has drawn Trump's ire. 'MAGA KY was formed for the specific purpose of firing Thomas Massie – His constituents will soon learn that he prefers the politics and policy of AOC and the radical left – over President Trump,' Trump's co-campaign manager Chris LaCivita told NewsNation, The Hill's sister cable network. LaCivita was referencing Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the progressive Democrat from New York. The Hill has reached out to Massie's team for comment. Axios, which first reported on the new PAC led by LaCivita and Trump pollster Tony Fabrizio, noted plans for the push were in the works even before Massie angered Trump this weekend with sharp criticism of U.S. strikes against Iran. 'This is not constitutional,' Massie wrote in response to the president's announcement that American forces struck three Iranian nuclear sites in an operation Trump deemed 'very successful.' Trump in turn railed against Massie, saying the Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement 'should drop this pathetic LOSER, Tom Massie, like the plague!' The Congress member hit back by posting that '@realDonaldTrump declared so much War on me today it should require an Act of Congress. #sassywithmassie' Massie and Trump have long been at odds. Back in March, Trump had promised to 'lead the charge' to unseat Massie over his lack of support for the GOP's short-term government funding bill. Last month, Massie was one of two House Republicans to vote against Trump's tax and spending package. Trump's operation has reportedly been talking with potential challengers for Massie, who was first elected in 2012 and has already announced plans to run for reelection again, amid Trump's criticism. Massie came under fire from Trump during the 2020 cycle for trying to stall a sweeping coronavirus aid package. Two years later, Trump endorsed the Kentucky lawmaker in the 2022 midterms. Last November, Massie easily won another term representing the Bluegrass State's 4th Congressional District, beating two primary challengers and gliding unopposed to reelection in the general. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
12 hours ago
- Politics
- The Hill
Speaker Johnson stops short of backing Massie for re-election amid Trump feud
Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) stopped short of endorsing Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) for re-election on Tuesday, days after President Trump threatened to back a primary challenger for the GOP lawmaker — the latest jab in the long-running feud between the two Republicans. The lukewarm response follows days of Trump attacking Massie on social media after the Kentucky Republican voted against the party's 'big, beautiful bill' last month and said the president's strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities over the weekend were 'not Constitutional.' On Sunday, however, Trump escalated his rhetoric, vowing to campaign 'hard' for a primary challenger to Massie, who has served in the House since 2012. Asked on Tuesday if he will defend Massie against a primary challenger, Johnson weighed his commitments as Speaker with his understanding of Trump's anger with the Kentucky Republican. 'That's the hardest question I had this morning, and I'm being totally honest with you,' Johnson said. 'Look, the Speaker's job, my role with my party cap on is I'm leader of my party here, and the Speaker leads the incumbent protection program, right, that's what we call it. I gotta make sure everybody gets re-elected. I travel the country nonstop, relentlessly, raising money to ensure that that happens.' 'But I certainly understand the president's frustration about the colleague you named, and he and I talk about that quite a bit,' he continued. 'Can't quite understand what the rationale is but if you're here and you're wearing one team's jersey and every single time you vote with the other team, people begin to question what your motive is and what your philosophy is and why you're so consistently opposed to the platform, the agenda of your party.' It remains unclear who will primary Massie, but the effort to find a candidate is ramping up. Chris LaCivita, Trump's 2024 co-campaign manager, and Tony Fabrizio, a Trump pollster, launched a new super PAC that is aimed at unseating Massie. 'MAGA KY was formed for the specific purpose of firing Thomas Massie – His constituents will soon learn that he prefers the politics and policy of AOC and the radical left – over President Trump,' LaCivita told NewsNation. Massie, for his part, has not flinched amid the increased pressure. On Monday, he said 'I have the Trump antibodies,' likely referring to previous scuffles he has gotten into with Trump, and on Tuesday, after Johnson stopped short of offering support for the incumbent, Massie re-posted Trump's May 2022 statement endorsing the Kentucky Republican. 'For those who want to know what @realDonaldTrump really thinks of me, this should clear things up…' he wrote on X with the old endorsement. Trump and Massie have historically had a complicated relationship. In March 2020, Massie tried to force a vote on the CARES Act COVID-19 stimulus bill, which forced members to return to Washington to avoid a delay in passing the legislation — drawing the ire of Trump. In August 2022, Trump endorsed Massie before his primary, calling the Kentucky Republican 'a first-rate Defender of the Constitution.' In April 2023, Massie endorsed Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) in the GOP presidential primary, sparking intense anger from Trump. In October 2024, after DeSantis had dropped out, Massie endorsed Trump. Trump and Johnson's frustrations with Massie are resurfacing as the Kentucky Republican voted against key party legislation, supported an effort to oust the Speaker last year and, most recently, sharply criticized the president's strike in Iran. Massie is co-leading a bipartisan war powers resolution with Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) that would prevent the U.S. from additional intervention in Iran, an effort that Johnson has staked opposition to. Massie, however, may hold back the resolution now that Trump announced a ceasefire between Israel and Iran. Trump unloaded on Massie as recently as Tuesday morning, calling him a 'Third Rate Congressman' and a 'LOSER.' Johnson, additionally, told reporters: 'We never agree these days, I'm not sure where his philosophy is coming from.'
The Hill
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Hill
Trump aligned PAC launched to unseat Massie in Kentucky
A new super PAC aligned with President Trump is aiming to unseat Rep. Thomas Massie, a Kentucky Republican whose opposition to key administration moves has drawn Trump's ire. 'MAGA KY was formed for the specific purpose of firing Thomas Massie – His constituents will soon learn that he prefers the politics and policy of AOC and the radical left – over President Trump,' Trump's co-campaign manager Chris LaCivita told NewsNation, The Hill's sister cable network. LaCivita was referencing Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the progressive Democrat from New York. The Hill has reached out to Massie's team for comment. Axios, which first reported on the new PAC led by LaCivita and Trump pollster Tony Fabrizio, noted that plans for the push were in the works before Massie angered Trump this weekend with sharp criticism of U.S. strikes against Iran. 'This is not constitutional,' Massie wrote in response to the president's announcement that American forces struck three Iranian nuclear sites in an operation Trump deemed 'very successful.' Trump in turn railed against Massie, saying that Make America Great Again (MAGA) 'should drop this pathetic LOSER, Tom Massie, like the plague!' The congressman hit back by posting that '@realDonaldTrump declared so much War on me today it should require an Act of Congress. #sassywithmassie' Massie and Trump have long been at odds. Back in March, Trump had promised to to 'lead the charge' to unseat the congressman over his lack of support for the GOP's short-term government funding bill. Last month, Massie was one of two House Republicans to vote against Trump's 'big beautiful bill' last month. Trump's operation has reportedly been talking with potential challengers for Massie, who was first elected in 2012 and announced plans to run for reelection next year amid Trump's criticism. Massie came under fire from Trump during the 2020 cycle for trying to stall a sweeping coronavirus aid package. Two years later, Trump endorsed the Kentucky lawmaker in the 2022 midterms. Last November, Massie easily won another term representing the Bluegrass State's 4th Congressional District, beating two primary challengers and gliding unopposed to reelection in the general.
