President Donald Trump is in no mood for dissent—especially not from within his own party. After bombing Iran’s nuclear facilities over the weekend in a move he described as a “spectacular military success,” Trump turned his firepower on Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY), who blasted the strikes as unconstitutional.
Massie’s critique lit up social media on Sunday. “When two countries are bombing each other daily in a hot war, and a third country joins the bombing, that’s an act of war,” the Kentucky congressman posted on X, clearly referring to Trump’s direct military action against Tehran. In a separate post, he called out Speaker Mike Johnson for not recalling Congress to vote on the strikes, challenging the notion that imminent danger justified bypassing legislative authority.
That didn’t sit well with Trump. On Truth Social, the president declared Massie “not MAGA” and a “LOSER,” claiming the congressman represents everything the movement rejects. “MAGA doesn’t want him, doesn’t know him, and doesn’t respect him,” Trump wrote. “He is a negative force who almost always votes ‘NO,’ no matter how good something may be.”
The president defended the bombing of Iran’s nuclear infrastructure as both necessary and successful. “We had a spectacular military success yesterday, taking the ‘bomb’ right out of their hands (and they would use it if they could!),” Trump said. He blamed the Carter-era hostage crisis and Iran’s long history of anti-American aggression as justification for the strike, arguing Massie’s position equates to appeasement.
Massie wasn’t rattled. Instead, he clapped back with a sarcastic jab: “Trump declared so much War on me today it should require an Act of Congress,” he posted on X, adding the hashtag #sassywithmassie.
Still, Trump didn’t stop at name-calling. He hinted that a primary challenge is already in the works, saying he’d support a “wonderful American Patriot” to run against Massie in Kentucky. “I’ll be out in Kentucky campaigning really hard,” he warned. “MAGA is not about lazy, grandstanding, nonproductive politicians, of which Thomas Massie is definitely one.”
The dust-up underscores a key divide on the right. While Trump has long held the loyalty of the populist base, libertarian-leaning conservatives like Massie are raising constitutional and philosophical red flags about foreign interventions. The contrast recalls the old debate between non-interventionist and hawkish conservatives—only this time, Trump is positioning himself as both the tough guy on national defense and the anti-establishment outsider.
Massie’s comparison of Trump to Sen. Rand Paul may also sting, considering Paul’s own criticisms of expansive executive war powers. Trump, however, portrayed Massie as unpatriotic and weak, even mocking his vote record and calling him “Rand Paul Jr.”
While the feud is unlikely to derail Trump’s dominance in GOP circles, it’s a reminder that not every Republican is on board with the administration’s military moves. And for a president who thrives on loyalty and spectacle, Massie’s rebellion provided an irresistible target.
As the campaign trail heats up and Trump continues to flex foreign policy muscle, internal party rifts like this one may become more common—and more combustible.
