The conflict between President Donald Trump and Representative Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) is intensifying within American politics. Recently, President Trump publicly expressed his intention to ensure that Massie is defeated in next year's primaries, launching personal attacks calling him a "loser" and a "bum."

Thomas Massie, U.S. Republican Congressman. /Courtesy of Yonhap News

According to The Washington Post on the 23rd (local time), President Trump has been openly expressing his anger after Massie opposed recent military operations against Iran, a large tax cut, and immigration policies. Previously, Massie pointed out that Trump's attack on Iran was "unconstitutional," and Trump responded, "He is not part of the MAGA (Make America Great Again) base. We need to get rid of him."

Massie is considered a representative "contrarian" within the Republican Party. He has been elected continuously since 2012 from Kentucky's 4th Congressional District, maintaining a critical stance against diplomatic interventionism and government expenditure expansion. He is one of two Republican House members who voted against Trump's tax cut, officially named the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act."

In response, Trump is ramping up attacks on Massie, pressuring him. Trump's strategy is to defeat him in next year's primaries. He said, "A great patriot will come forward to challenge Massie," and pledged, "I will go directly to Kentucky to campaign." Caroline Rabbitt, a White House spokesperson, also publicly criticized Massie in an interview with Fox News, stating, "Massie is closer to the Democrats than to the Republicans," and said, "He should be a Democrat."

Administration officials are already working behind the scenes to defeat Massie. According to Axios, Chris Lascivita and James Blair, who led Trump's campaign last year, have recently launched a Super PAC called "Kentucky MAGA" to groom pro-Trump candidates in Massie's district, Kentucky 4th, to defeat him from the primaries.

Currently, no strong candidates have officially emerged to challenge Massie, but the dynamics of the primaries are starting to heat up. Aaron Reed, a Kentucky state senator, is mentioned as a notable figure. Reed, a former Navy SEAL, is garnering attention regarding his potential candidacy.

However, despite the pressure from Trump's camp, Massie is maintaining a firm stance. He responded, "I am the original 'America First' politician," stating, "I have built a solid trust with voters through consistent policies." In an interview with a conservative podcast, he pointed out, "It is difficult to set a more conservative policy line than mine," noting, "That is why they (pro-Trump politicians) chose to be closer to the president."

Utilizing Trump's concentrated attacks to his advantage, Massie is also actively fundraising. When Trump first criticized him last March, Massie raised about $400,000 (approximately 520 million won) within a day, and on the 23rd (local time), more than $100,000 (approximately 130 million won) was raised in just one day.

This is not the first time the conflict between the two has occurred. Massie opposed Trump's declaration of a national emergency to fund the border wall during the first Trump administration in 2019, and he voted against Trump’s wishes during the 2020 COVID-19 response legislation. Last year, during the primary season, Massie supported Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, distancing himself further from Trump.

Currently, Massie, along with Democratic Representative Ro Khanna, is proposing a bipartisan amendment to the War Powers Resolution to curb the expansion of U.S. military involvement in Iran. The bill aims to restrict the expansion of military operations without approval from Congress and has secured 57 co-sponsors to date.