_WHAT’S HAPPENING_
House Republicans passed a continuing resolution to fund the government through September. All but one GOP member voted for it: Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY). Massie, the House’s boldest libertarian and fiscal hawk, has earned a reputation for bucking party leadership and going his own way.
But his “no” vote infuriated President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly attacked the congressmen in a series of social media posts and announced he would seek to primary Massie next year. Trump’s attack sparked backlash from some Republicans, who sided with Massie as the lone House member pushing back against what he views as exorbitant government spending.
_THE FACTS_
The government runs out of funding tonight. Congressional Republicans are seeking to avoid a shutdown with a continuing resolution, which — with some tweaks — keeps spending levels mostly stable until September.
Doing so allows them to focus on reconciliation, the process in which they will pass much of Trump’s agenda and cut spending.
Rep. Thomas Massie announced he would not vote for the CR earlier this week, arguing that such a vote would allow the “waste fraud and abuse DOGE has found” to continue.
His actions aren’t surprising: the libertarian Republican has long been against continuing resolutions that do not cut spending and has frequently been the bane of Republican leadership. For just one example, he voted against a CR over 10 years ago, saying it “[perpetuated] an unbalanced budget.” He’s saying similar things today.
President Trump responded to Massie’s announcement with fury, complaining that he is “an automatic ‘No’ on just about everything.” He also called Massie a “grandstander” and reiterated his support for a primary challenger.
Many commentators on the right have leaped to defend Massie. One, Daily Wire host Matt Walsh, called him “one of our best congressmen.”
Writing at UnHerd, Emily Jashinkski argued Republicans should embrace Massie, saying that the congressman supported plenty of MAGA’s arguments — like cutting spending and eliminating waste — before Trump even came on the scene.
Massie has raised over $200,000 since Trump attacked him.
_INSIGHTS_
Massie has been consistent in his beliefs but, throughout his tenure, has mostly stood alone. While many influencers on the right, like Matt Walsh and Jesse Kelly, have come to Massie’s defense, when it comes to decision-makers, Massie is not winning many converts. That’s because his absolutist approach on spending does not mesh with some aspects of the MAGA movement, which instead seeks to use the government as a tool — like with President Trump’s tariffs.
Many Republicans are also wary of repeating Clinton- and Obama-era shutdown battles, which hurt the party. This shift is perfectly encapsulated by the Freedom Caucus’ support for the continuing resolution. In the past, they repeatedly thumbed the eye of House leadership and happily supported multiple shut-downs. But it’s Trump’s party now, and the days of fiscal hawk conservatism are over.
