Trump campaign unleashes PAC to oust GOP congressman who questioned authority to strike Iran
Chris LaCivita, a veteran Republican strategist who was co-campaign manager for Trump's 2024 presidential bid, and Tony Fabrizio, longtime GOP pollster and Trump's top pollster in 2024, will steer the "Kentucky PAC."
It is the first time the Trump campaign apparatus has directly targeted an incumbent Republican through a super PAC, and the move signals an aggressive new strategy to hold congressional Republicans accountable for thwarting Trump's legislative agenda.
The news was first reported by Axios on Sunday night.
As the president considered whether to strike Iran's nuclear facilities, Massie emerged as the leading Republican voice willing to challenge Trump's constitutional authority to usher the U.S. into the burgeoning conflict between Israel and Iran. When Trump announced successful strikes on three nuclear sites in Iran on Saturday night, Massie was clear in his rebuttal, "This is not constitutional."
Thomas Massie Says He Feels 'Misled' By Trump After Iran Strikes: 'He's Engaged In War'
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"FAFO ….working on the FO …" LaCivita responded to Massie on Saturday, which means, "F--- around and find out."
'Not Constitutional': Congress Evokes New War Powers Resolution To Reject Trump's Strikes On Iran
By Sunday night, LaCivita confirmed the Axios report, responding on X, "Here's the FO" – a clear message to Massie, and any Republican who undermines the president, that Trump's political arm is prepared to respond.
Massie was elected U.S. representative for Kentucky's fourth congressional district in 2012. The fiscal firebrand, one of the few remaining House GOP members willing to disagree with Trump, staved off Republican primary challenges in deep red Kentucky in 2020 and again in 2024.
Last week, the Republican co-sponsored the War Powers Resolution along with 48 Democrats, trying to prevent Trump from striking Iran without congressional approval. Congress has the sole power to declare war under Article I of the Constitution.
The War Powers Resolution seeks to "remove United States Armed Forces from unauthorized hostilities in the Islamic State of Iran" and directs Trump to "terminate" the deployment of American troops against Iran without an "authorized declaration of war or specific authorization for use of military forces against Iran."
When Trump announced America's successful strikes on Iran – without congressional approval – Massie and his Democratic co-sponsors, including Rep. Ro Khanna, were quick to criticize the president on social media and during a joint appearance on CBS News' "Face the Nation" Sunday.
"I feel a bit misled," Massie told Fox News Digital in a Sunday afternoon interview. "I didn't think he would let neocons determine his foreign policy and drag us into another war."
The Kentucky Republican has broken from Trump on several other occasions and has been one of the few GOP officials to openly clash with the president — particularly on government spending and foreign intervention.
Trump threatened to primary Massie for his unwillingness to bend on the House GOP's One Big Beautiful Bill negotiations, comments Massie subsequently used in fundraising messages for his 2026 re-election campaign.
Massie was one of just two House Republicans who voted against Trump's megabill last month, arguing it did not do enough to tackle the country's enormous national debt, which sits at well over $36 trillion.
In a lengthy Truth Social post Sunday afternoon, Trump signaled he had enough of Massie's dissent, claiming "MAGA doesn't want him, doesn't know him, and doesn't respect him," and once again called him a "grandstander."
"MAGA should drop this pathetic LOSER, Tom Massie, like the plague! 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. MAGA is not about lazy, grandstanding, nonproductive politicians, of which Thomas Massie is definitely one," Trump said Sunday.
Massie did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's inquiry about the Kentucky PAC.Original article source: Trump campaign unleashes PAC to oust GOP congressman who questioned authority to strike Iran
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