Trump slams ‘grandstander’ Rep. Thomas Massie for opposing his massive agenda bill

The president, who was at the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday to sway House Republicans to back his bill, said Mr. Massie should be “voted out of office.”

“I don’t think Thomas Massie understands government,” Mr. Trump said. “I think he is a grandstander, frankly.”

“If you ask him a couple of questions, he never gives you an answer, he just says, ‘I’m a no.’ He thinks he’s going to get publicity.”

Mr. Massie, Kentucky Republican, shrugged off the threat of a primary challenge.

“I’m not worried. I mean, I’m not worried about losing,” said Mr. Massie, who was targeted in the 2024 GOP primary and easily won with 76% of the vote.

He has been vocal against the bill, a massive package of tax cuts and spending cuts that are the heart of Mr. Trump’s legislative agenda. He told CNN earlier Tuesday that the bill is “a joke” because the White House says the bill won’t raise the country’s deficit.

Mr. Massie wasn’t budging from his opposition to the bill, but he said Mr. Trump likely swayed some GOP holdouts in the closed-door meeting.

“He probably did a pretty good job in there, like, if his job was to go in there and convince the Freedom Caucus and the blue-state Republicans, I think he did a good job,” Mr. Massie said. “He made a decent effort at convincing me.”

Before the meeting, Mr. Trump said he doesn’t talk to Mr. Massie anymore.

The president has spoken out against Mr. Massie before, saying in March he would “lead the charge” to find someone to fill his House seat.

Mr. Massie has been a big opponent of the stopgap bills to fund the federal government.

“Congressman Thomas Massie, of beautiful Kentucky, is an automatic ‘NO’ vote on just about everything, despite the fact that he has always voted for Continuing Resolutions in the past,” Mr. Trump said on social media in March. “HE SHOULD BE PRIMARIED, and I will lead the charge against him. He’s just another GRANDSTANDER, who’s too much trouble, and not worth the fight.”