By In a combustible display of Republican infighting, President Donald Trump again turned his rhetorical arsenal inward, blasting Representative Thomas Massie, a Republican from Kentucky, during a Fox News interview from Capitol Hill. The president accused Massie of ignorance, obstruction, and political showboating—a familiar refrain for the libertarian-minded lawmaker who has repeatedly defied GOP leadership on matters of federal spending. The clash underscores the deep ideological fissures in a Republican Party that, while nominally united behind Trump, remains profoundly divided on the question of what fiscal conservatism actually means.
“I’m a bigger fiscal hawk—there’s nobody like me as a fiscal hawk,” Trump insisted, dismissing Massie’s criticisms of the administration’s latest budget bill. The president then mispronounced Massie’s name—an insult that did not go unnoticed—before declaring that the Kentucky congressman “doesn’t understand government” and “should be voted out of office.”
I'M A BIGGER FISCAL HAWK. THERE'S NOBODY LIKE ME.
Trump talks about Thomas Massie this morning.pic.twitter.com/XOs928wtPx
— Citizen Free Press (@CitizenFreePres) May 20, 2025
This is not the first time Trump has targeted Massie, who infamously forced a roll-call vote on a COVID relief package in 2020 and more recently stood as the sole Republican vote against a key omnibus bill in March 2025. At the time, Trump pledged to “lead the charge” against Massie in the upcoming midterms—a threat that now appears to be entering active phase.
Yet Massie is not the only Republican in Trump’s crosshairs. Speaking to reporters after a closed-door GOP conference, Trump also took aim at the SALT deduction debate that has paralyzed segments of the party’s legislative push. Despite previously promising to “get SALT back” on the campaign trail, Trump reversed course this week, sharply criticizing blue-state Republicans pushing for relief from the $10,000 cap.
“Well SALT is a very interesting thing. The big JB is going nowhere, probably right now, he could be the worst governor in the country, but Illinois and Gavin ‘Newscum,’ those are the people that want this, and they’re Democrat states,” Trump told reporters at the Capitol, according to Politico.
Trump’s rhetorical pivot appears aimed at pressuring the so-called “SALT Republicans” to fall in line, as House leadership races to unify the party behind its marquee package: the “One Big Beautiful Bill.” The proposal, a sprawling mix of tax reform, border enforcement, and energy deregulation, includes headline provisions like eliminating taxes on tips and overtime pay. But it also contains a controversial SALT compromise—raising the cap to $30,000, but only for those earning under $400,000—that many in the GOP’s suburban flank see as insufficient.
Massie, meanwhile, has sounded the alarm on the bill’s broader fiscal implications. Known for his strict constitutionalism and aversion to debt-financed spending, he’s positioned himself as the conscience of a party many fiscal hawks believe has lost its compass.
The feud arrives at a perilous moment for the GOP, which controls both chambers of Congress and the White House but has struggled to maintain internal cohesion, according to reports. With the 2026 midterms fast approaching, Trump’s personalized style—turning disagreements into public loyalty tests—threatens to derail legislative momentum and deepen intraparty resentment.
Political analysts note that President-elect Trump’s tendency to prioritize control may not effectively translate into governing. The House Republican majority faces challenges in maintaining unity, as some members, like Rep. Thomas Massie, emphasize ideological purity, while SALT Republicans focus on local interests, creating a difficult coalition to sustain.
As Trump juggles multiple internal conflicts—from budget hawks like Massie to suburban moderates like Lawler—his grip on the GOP remains firm but not unchallenged. The question for Republicans is not just whether they can pass the “One Big Beautiful Bill,” but whether they can survive the political cost of doing so in a party increasingly defined by litmus tests and spectacle.
Whether this latest round of intra-party warfare will produce meaningful legislative progress or merely serve as prelude to another internecine bloodletting remains uncertain. But with Trump back in full campaign mode—and with old grudges, new targets, and no appetite for compromise—the Republican Party’s internal budget battles are far from resolved.
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