Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) delivered an unequivocal message to President Donald Trump and Republicans on Capitol Hill after the president unleashed a scathing social media post where he threatened the lawmaker – who he called a “GRANDSTANDER” – with a primary challenge.
But the fiscal conservative hours later made clear he was not intimidated by Trump’s threats – and had no plans to bend to the president's demands and switch his vote to align with House leadership as Washington faces a Friday shutdown deadline to keep the government funded through September.
“I never changed my vote,” Massie said Tuesday outside Capitol Hill, before offering his own interpretation of what he thinks are the true intentions behind Trump’s post to his Truth Social platform.
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“The missives directed at me weren't to try to get me to change my vote,” Massie told Raw Story. “I think they were to try and keep the other Republicans in line until they get this over to the Senate.
He added that senators will soon discover “what a stinker” the measurement to fund the government for another six months is “when you get like 10 or 15 Democrats over there to vote for something that the Freedom Caucus endorsed over here.”
When asked by reporters if he was worried about getting hit with a MAGA-led primary challenge, Massie responded with a simple: “No.”