President Donald Trump says he plans to campaign against Kentucky Congressman Thomas Massie after he criticized the recent U.S. bombing of Iran.
Massie represents Kentucky's 4th Congressional District, which encompasses roughly all of Northern Kentucky and more.
On social media, Massie shared Trump's announcement that a "very successful" attack had been launched on Iran, calling the decision "not Constitutional."
Following that initial post, Massie has continued to criticize the move on his social media accounts.
"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," Massie wrote on social media at 5:44 a.m. Sunday morning. "I'm amazed at the mental gymnastics being undertaken by neocons in DC (and their social media bots) to say we aren't at war... so they can make war."
Hours after Trump's post, on Sunday evening, Massie shared a screenshot of a Trump post on TruthSocial where the president said there should be a "regime change" if the current Iranian regime "is unable to MAKE IRAN GREAT AGAIN."
Massie topped the screenshot with the comment: "This is not America First folks."
This is not America First folks. pic.twitter.com/UllkiycVRv
— Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) June 22, 2025
Following his initial critical comments, Trump took to social media to share his own criticisms of Massie — including declaring that he planned to campaign for Massie's opponent ahead of the Republican primary in the spring. Kentucky has a U.S. House of Representatives election in November 2026.
"Congressman Thomas Massie of Kentucky is not MAGA, even though he likes to say he is," wrote Trump. "Actually, MAGA doesn't want him, doesn't know him and doesn't respect him. He is a negative force who almost always Votes "NO," no matter how good something may be. He's a simple minded "grandstander" who thinks it's good politics for Iran to have the highest level Nuclear weapon, while at the same time yelling "DEATH TO AMERICA" at every chance they get."
.@realDonaldTrump declared so much War on me today it should require an Act of Congress. #sassywithmassie pic.twitter.com/ZrMiIKcAxu
— Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) June 23, 2025
Trump went on, continuing to hurl insults at Massie, calling him "weak, ineffective," "lazy, grandstanding, nonproductive" and adding that MAGA should "drop this pathetic LOSER, Tom Massie, like the plague!"
He finished the post by saying, "The good news is that we will have a wonderful American Patriot running against him in the Republican Primary and I'll be out in Kentucky campaigning really hard."
Massie then shared Trump's long diatribe against him on his own various social media platforms, saying Trump "declared so much War on me today it should require an Act of Congress."
It's not the first time the president has been critical of Massie — it's also not the first time Trump has suggested Massie should not be in office.
In May, Trump also took a swipe at Massie over the Congressman's opposition to Trump's "big, beautiful" budget bill.
“I think he is a grandstander, frankly,” the president said. “I think he should be voted out of office.”
Massie was most recently re-elected to Kentucky's House in 2022, defeating challengers Matthew Lehman and Ethan Osborne with 65% of the vote in Kentucky's 4th congressional district race. He has been in Congress since 2012, when he won both a special and regular election to fill former Rep. Geoff Davis' open seat as part of the Tea Party movement. He was previously judge-executive of Lewis County.
Massie's reputation has earned him the nickname "Mr. No."
Massie often makes headlines for voting against things in the House that have bipartisan support — such as a coronavirus aid package or a resolution supporting Sweden and Finland joining NATO. He has voted against every omnibus appropriations bill Congress has passed as he said addressing national debt is one of his biggest platform positions.
