Trump wants 'grandstander' Kentucky Rep. Massie out for rejecting GOP budget

Beth Musgrave, Lexington Herald-Leader on Mar 11, 2025

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President Donald Trump called for the ouster of U.S. Rep. Thomas Massie late Monday after Massie signaled he would not vote for a Republican-sponsored budget resolution.

Massie, a Kentucky Republican first elected in 2012, said he would not vote for the continuing resolution because it still spent too much money.

“If it passes this week, the CR obligates Trump (from now until September) to spend the same amounts of money on generally the same things Biden spent money on in his last 15 months in office. We could pass recisions later to undo some things, but there’s no commitment to do so,” Massie wrote on X.

House Republicans have a slim majority in the U.S. House. House Democrats have signaled they would vote against the continuing budget resolution that would keep the federal government open.

If a few House Republicans vote against the resolution, it could sink the measure and possibly lead to a federal government shutdown as early as Friday, which Trump and others in the Republican majority want to avoid.

Trump fired back at Massie on Truth Social, the president’s own social media company.

“I will lead the charge against him. He’s just another GRANDSTANDER, who’s too much trouble and not worth the fight. He reminds me of Liz Cheney before her historic, record-breaking fall loss! The people of Kentucky won’t stand for it, just watch. DO I HAVE ANY TAKERS???” Trump wrote.

But Massie, known as a maverick who has bucked his own party and Trump in the past, was not impressed and stood his ground. In 2020, Trump also called for Massie’s ouster after the two sparred over a coronavirus relief package. Trump later endorsed Massie in 2022.

“Someone thinks they can control my voting card by threatening my re-election. Guess what? Doesn’t work on me. 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 wrote on X.

Massie, who represents Northern Kentucky, trounced his Republican primary opponents in May 2024, receiving 75% of the vote.

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