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JUST IN: White House Backs Primary Challenge To Anti-Trump GOP Lawmaker

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President Donald Trump announced Sunday that Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY), who has been opposing the White House-backed “Big Beautiful Bill” and other administration policy goals, will be drawing a primary challenger ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.

In a lengthy Truth Social post, Trump pointed to Massie’s opposition to the U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear sites as the latest example of anti-Trump policy decisions. The Kentucky lawmaker described Trump’s actions as “unconstitutional” and criticized Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) for refusing to recall Congress in order to vote on the authorization of military action.

“Congressman Thomas Massie of Kentucky is not MAGA, even though he likes to say he is. Actually, MAGA doesn’t want him, doesn’t know him, and doesn’t respect him,” the president wrote in a scathing post Sunday.

“He is a negative force who almost always Votes ‘NO,’ no matter how good something may be. 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. Iran has killed and maimed thousands of Americans, and even took over the American Embassy in Tehran under the Carter Administration.”

Trump further criticized the congressman for a number of key “no” votes on core Trump policy goals, including the “Big Beautiful Bill,” which will provide billions in additional funding for border security, significantly reform the nation’s welfare system and make tax cuts permanent. Massie has been a vocal opponent of the legislation, arguing that it does not sufficiently reduce spending.

“Massie should drop his fake act and start putting America First, but he doesn’t know how to get there — he doesn’t have a clue! He’ll undoubtedly vote against the Great, Big, Beautiful Bill, even though non-passage means a 68% Tax Increase for everybody, and many things far worse than that,” Trump continued.

“MAGA should drop this pathetic LOSER, Tom Massie, like the plague! The good news is that we will have a wonderful American Patriot running against him in the Republican Primary, and I’ll be out in Kentucky campaigning really hard. MAGA is not about lazy, grandstanding, nonproductive politicians, of which Thomas Massie is definitely one.”

According to a report from Axios, Trump’s team has launched a new political action committee, Kentucky MAGA, aimed at unseating Massie in 2026. It will be run by former Trump campaign manager Chris LaCivita and senior White House political advisor Tony Fabrizio.

LaCivita said the Super PAC will spend “whatever it takes” in order to defeat Massie. According to an unnamed White House aide, plans for the PAC were already in the works before Massie announced his opposition to the strikes on Iran.

Massie, who was first elected in 2012, easily survived primary challenges in the last three cycles. The president’s team is confident after quietly commissioning an independent poll gauging potential opposition to the Libertarian-minded lawmaker’s re-election, however.

According to the survey, which was conducted by Trump pollster John McLaughlin, 52 percent of respondents would support a Trump-endorsed candidate, while 23 percent expressed support for Massie.