Thomas Massie Campaigns Against Trump’s Debt: ‘Expanded Spending Beyond Biden’s Budget’

(Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call via AP Images)

Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) took a swipe at his own party on Friday as he fights off a Trump-endorsed primary challenger to his Kentucky congressional seat.

Massie and Trump have been at odds for most of President Donald Trump’s second term in office, with the feud really heating up after Massie refused to back Trump’s so-called “Big Beautiful Bill.”

Last May, Massie gave a floor speech denouncing the bill, saying, “I’d love to stand here and tell the American people, we can cut your taxes and we can increase spending, and everything’s going to be just fine. But I can’t do that because I’m here to deliver a dose of reality.”

“This bill dramatically increases deficits in the near term, but promises our government will be fiscally responsible five years from now. Where have we heard that before? How do you bind a future Congress to these promises? This bill is a debt bomb ticking,” he warned.

Almost a year later, Massie is now campaigning against his own leadership in the House and Trump for passing that bill and adding to the debt.

“1/20/25 Republicans took control of White House + Senate + House,” Massie wrote on X with a green check mark in front of the sentence. He then added two lines each preceded by a red ‘X’ mark:

They expanded spending beyond Biden’s budget, causing U.S. debt to increase $2.7 trillion since then.

I voted against this excessive spending and that’s why the swamp wants me gone.

“I keep my promises!” he added with a thumbs-up emoji.

Massie, a libertarian-leaning conservative, has long voted against most legislation in Congress, earning him the nickname “Mr. No.” Trump traveled to Kentucky in mid-March to boost Massie’s primary opponent, Ed Gallrein. The primary is scheduled for May 19th, and Trump has been savagely attacking Massie in recent months ahead of the vote.

“The Republican Party’s Worst ‘Congressman,’ EVER, Thomas Massie, is attacking GREAT Navy Seal Hero, Ed Gallrein, who is running against him in the Primary, saying that Ed became an Independent for a period of time, long ago,” Trump wrote on Truth Social ahead of his trip, adding:

Thomas Massie, sometimes referred to as Rand Paul Jr. because he only votes “NO,” is A COMPLETE AND TOTAL DISASTER as a Congressman, and a Human Being. He is disloyal to the Republican Party, the People of Kentucky and, most importantly, he is disloyal to the United States of America! He is a MISFIT, who should be voted out of Office, ASAP. VOTE FOR ED GALLREIN, A MAN WHO HAS MY COMPLETE AND TOTAL ENDORSEMENT. HE IS A TRUE AMERICAN HERO! President DONALD J. TRUMP

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