President Donald Trump and his political operation are working to unseat their first Republican incumbent: Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie , who has drawn Trump's wrath by saying the president lacked the authority to attack Iran's nuclear sites without congressional approval and voted against his massive tax and spending cuts bill .
Trump aides have launched a new super PAC devoted to defeating Massie in his 2026 primary, Axios first reported . It is the first concerted effort by his team to unseat a sitting member of Congress and sends a clear signal to other Republicans that they cross Trump at their peril.
For the libertarian-leaning Kentucky congressman, the threats and social media barrage from Trump are nothing new . Massie has a history of angering the White House. He was one of two House Republicans to vote against the "One Big Beautiful Bill" Trump wants on his desk by July 4. In 2020, he tried to stall a massive coronavirus aid package during Trump's first term.
Massie also backed Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis over Trump in the 2024 GOP primary.
In recent days, he has accused Trump of abandoning his campaign pledge to keep the U.S. out of war, and joined Democrats in introducing a resolution that would have required Congress to authorize any attacks on Iran.