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Yahoo
an hour ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Why Donald Trump Is Trying To Make An Example Out Of This One House Republican
WASHINGTON — In his second term, President Donald Trump has turned most Republican members of Congress, from the House speaker who declared Congress has no war powers to the backbench wingnuts nominating him for the Nobel Prize, into his stooges and henchmen. Except for Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.). The Kentucky Republican has stood athwart the tide of Trumpism, not yelling 'stop!' exactly, but at least not going along with the tide. And Trump clearly hates it. 'He votes, 'NO!' on everything, because he thinks it makes him cool, but he's not cool, he's a LOSER!' Trump wrote on his platform Truth Social on Tuesday, the latest in a series of similar slams. 'GET THIS 'BUM' OUT OF OFFICE, ASAP!!!' the president posted on Monday. 'MAGA is not about lazy, grandstanding, nonproductive politicians, of which Thomas Massie is definitely one,' Trump wrote Sunday. Massie has repeatedly voted against Trump's priorities, including the so-called Big Beautiful Bill, and this month, he also questioned the constitutionality of Trump's decision to jump into the Israel-Iran war. So Trump has escalated his attacks on Massie, saying this week he'll recruit a primary opponent and campaign against Massie in his Northern Kentucky district. On Thursday, a new super PAC backed by Trump allies unveiled anti-Massie attack ads. Massie says it's not actually about him — it's about intimidating the many other Republicans who've threatened to stray from the party line. 'He's doing this publicly and very flagrantly and notoriously in order to keep all of those people in line because they don't want any part of this, whereas I think I can sustain it,' Massie told HuffPost in an interview this week. Massie and Rep. Warren Davidson (R-Ohio) were the only Republicans who voted against the Big Beautiful Bill when it passed the House in May, though a significant group of Republicans had threatened to do so. Their main gripe is that the bill's tax cuts are way bigger than its spending cuts, meaning it would increase federal budget deficits. For years and years, Republicans have said budget deficits and the growing national debt are pure evil. The party's libertarian wing, of which Massie is a leading member, has always been particularly adamant. The funny thing is, Massie is in no way an anti-Trump Republican. He's a reliable Trump-aligned voter on most high-profile issues and a leading voice on others. To give one example, Massie is the foremost proponent of the theory that the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol had been at least partially instigated not by Trump, but by a supposed FBI informant named Ray Epps, with the ultimate goal of entrapping Trump supporters in the criminal justice system. Epps repeatedly said under penalty of perjury that he wasn't a federal agent. He got charged with crimes along with 1,500 other Trump supporters. When I mentioned Epps got a pardon like the rest of them, Massie seemed a little disappointed. 'Did he get a pardon?' (All Jan. 6 participants have received executive clemency unless they proactively refused it.) As for Trump's attacks, Massie projects confidence that nobody can beat him in his district, noting he beat primary challengers last year and that Trump has not yet recruited an actual primary opponent this year. He's raised money off of Trump's posts while avoiding a confrontational tone. 'I haven't escalated it. I just try to make a joke out of it every time. I'm ready for a ceasefire. I took three of his bunker busters and I'm still here,' Massie said. 'Privately, I'm getting a few fist bumps here and there from my colleagues for the way that I'm basically playing it off, not getting into a fight with the president, just bringing humor to it.' Massie's biggest difference with Trump and other Republicans is on the question of federal budget deficits. On a superficial level, there's no difference — all Republicans favor fiscal responsibility, meaning all Republicans want to shrink federal budget deficits and eventually shrink the national debt. Or at least they say they do. Massie is the only one who consistently votes against major spending bills, and he's been the only reliable 'no' vote against the Big Beautiful Bill and its promise of trillions in additional debt. In March, a group of far-right Republicans threatened to vote against a government funding bill, then caved under pressure from the White House. One of them was Davidson, the Ohio Republican who joined Massie in voting against the Big Beautiful Bill in May. 'A lot of us want to be Massie. We want to be the person that can say no. And I think it's important for him to stake out that ground,' Davison told reporters in March. 'To me, he's like a lighthouse. He shows where we should be going, but, you know, you don't negotiate with lighthouses.'
The Independent
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Independent
‘Barely hanging on' Joy Reid's damning assessment of Democrats: ‘Give me Jasmine Crockett'
Former MSNBC host Joy Reid appeared on The Breakfast Club on Tuesday, saying that while she has been a lifelong Democrat, she's 'barely hanging on.' Reid defended those, such as former Joe Biden-era White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, who have departed from the party. Discussing her departure from MSNBC following the February cancellation of her show and her lack of faith in the current Democratic Party, the former host of ReidOut said Democrats have become too worried about disappointing party leaders rather than elevating members like Texas Rep. Jasmine Crockett to effectively take on the 'fascism' of President Donald Trump. 'I've been a Democrat since I was old enough to vote, but I'm barely hanging on, honestly, because at this point the party is not bigger than the future of my kids,' Reid said. 'I have a daughter and two sons that have to live in this country as Black people. And fascism don't work for me, you know?' she added. 'And I'm not willing to cede the country to Trumpism and MAGA simply because I'm clinging to this party.' Reid criticized those blasting Jean-Pierre for leaving the party, saying, 'I'm mad at that because … at this point … who cares what the party label is? Give me an effective fighter.' She went on to argue that progressives such as Crockett are the most effective fighters in today's Democratic Party, but noted that the party's mainstream is neglecting them. Crockett ended her bid this week to become the ranking member on the House Oversight Committee. 'It was clear by the numbers that my style of leadership is not exactly what they were looking for, and so I didn't think that it was fair for me to then push forward and try to rebuke that,' Crockett told reporters. During her Breakfast Club appearance on Tuesday, Reid said Democrats should prioritize effective leadership above everything else. 'If Jasmine Crockett is the most effective fighter, give me Jasmine Crockett,' she said. 'And I really don't care what you have to move around or who you have to disappoint in order to give me her. Just give me her because we need a leader.' Reid suggested that it's possible that Democrats are too 'orderly' to put up a proper opposition to the Trump administration. 'They prioritize whose turn it is. Like, Democrats are very orderly,' Reid said. 'They're almost too orderly for fascism. In fascism, you can't be orderly, because the other side is messy.'
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Joy Reid ‘barely hanging on' with Democratic Party
Former MSNBC host Joy Reid criticized the Democratic Party on Tuesday, slamming it for being 'too orderly.' 'I've been a Democrat since I was old enough to vote, but I'm barely hanging on, honestly, because at this point the party is not bigger than the future of my kids…,' Reid said during an appearance on 'The Breakfast Club' in a clip highlighted by Mediaite. Her hit show the 'Reid Out' was canceled in February but she's remained a vocal critic of the Trump administration online and on air. 'I'm not willing to cede the country to Trumpism and MAGA simply because I'm clinging to this party,' she told host Charlamagne tha God. She applauded ex-White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre for leaving the party amid the absence of a leader. Reid said she desired an 'effective fighter' to take the ropes of the Democratic caucus to go toe to toe with President Trump. 'If Jasmine Crockett is the most effective fighter, give me Jasmine Crockett. And I really don't care what you have to move around or who you have to disappoint in order to give me her,' Reid said. 'Just give me her because we need a leader.' The former MSNBC commentator said Democrats are over structured and it's leading to their own demise. 'They prioritize whose turn it is. Like, Democrats are very orderly,' Reid said. 'They're almost too orderly for fascism. In fascism, you can't be orderly because the other side is messy.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Hill
Joy Reid ‘barely hanging on' with Democratic Party
Former MSNBC host Joy Reid criticized the Democratic Party on Tuesday, slamming it for being 'too orderly.' 'I've been a Democrat since I was old enough to vote, but I'm barely hanging on, honestly, because at this point the party is not bigger than the future of my kids…,' Reid said during an appearance on 'The Breakfast Club' in a clip highlighted by Mediaite. Her hit show the 'Reid Out' was canceled in February but she's remained a vocal critic of the Trump administration online and on air. 'I'm not willing to cede the country to Trumpism and MAGA simply because I'm clinging to this party,' she told host Charlamagne tha God. She applauded ex-White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre for leaving the party amid the absence of a leader. Reid said she desired an 'effective fighter' to take the ropes of the Democratic caucus to go toe to toe with President Trump. 'If Jasmine Crockett is the most effective fighter, give me Jasmine Crockett. And I really don't care what you have to move around or who you have to disappoint in order to give me her,' Reid said. 'Just give me her because we need a leader.' The former MSNBC commentator said Democrats are over structured and it's leading to their own demise. 'They prioritize whose turn it is. Like, Democrats are very orderly,' Reid said. 'They're almost too orderly for fascism. In fascism, you can't be orderly because the other side is messy.'
Spectator
3 days ago
- Politics
- Spectator
France wants to know the true cost of immigration
The right-wing UDR group in the French parliament, led by Eric Ciotti, has called for a parliamentary commission to calculate the true cost of immigration. Ciotti is demanding a line-by-line accounting of France's spending on healthcare, housing, education, and emergency aid for migrants, alongside their economic contributions. The French left recoiled instantly and predictably. To move the debate on, the Socialists tabled a no-confidence motion against the Bayrou government, ostensibly over pension reform, but widely seen as a bid to deflect Ciotti's challenge. In Paris, few are fooled: immigration is the real flashpoint. When it comes to immigration, the numbers are framed as dangerous, not because they're made up, but because they might be true Jean-Luc Mélenchon, the far-left firebrand and founder of LFI, thundered that Bayrou must resist 'the creeping Trumpism of public life.' Mélenchon is deliberately missing the point. All the right is asking for at this point is a procedural commission. It would be sober and long overdue. But for the French left, the idea that immigration might be scrutinised like any other line of public spending is intolerable. Much easier to cry racism, scream Trump, and table a motion of no confidence to distract and shut the whole thing down. When something looks threatening, change the subject. Ciotti's proposal may be politically explosive, but it is also needed. France's public finances are in crisis. The deficit stands at €154 billion, and the Bayrou government is scrambling to find €20 billion in immediate cuts just to satisfy Brussels. Voters are being told they must expect austerity. The question of what immigration costs, and what it brings in, is now being posed more forcefully than ever. France's annual bill for state-funded healthcare for migrants is now over €1.2 billion. Emergency accommodation for asylum seekers and illegal migrants costs around €1 billion a year. Add to that the costs of education, unemployment, integration schemes, housing aid, child support, and criminal justice. The numbers aren't exactly hidden, but they're never being added up in one place. And that, of course, is the point. For decades, France's political class has tiptoed around immigration, treating it as a moral question, rather than a policy one. For the left, asking how much it costs the country is considered out of line. The mere act of quantifying the impact and cost of immigration they claim invites racism. There is no other area of public spending subject to such hysteria. No one accuses the state of fascism for calculating how much the pension system costs. No one calls the budget ministry xenophobic for measuring how many billions go to education. But when it comes to immigration, the numbers are always framed as dangerous, not because they're made up, but because they might be true. The panic now gripping the left is not really about the commission itself. It's about what might follow. Because if the numbers are bad, the consensus begins to unravel. For years, think tanks have insisted that immigration is a net positive, citing GDP growth and demographic renewal. But these arguments are increasingly threadbare. France has among the lowest immigrant employment rates in Europe, and those in work are often concentrated in low-productivity sectors. Immigrants contribute little in taxes and draw heavily on expensive social services. A recent study by the Observatoire de l'immigration et de la démographie argued that immigration is a long-term fiscal burden, not a benefit at all. They conclude that immigrants leave the workforce earlier than previously assumed, and with much higher dependency needs. Ciotti's proposal is dangerous to the establishment. It threatens to turn immigration into a budgetary issue, at a time that the focus will more than ever be on the budget. It will become increasingly difficult for the left to virtue signal. In the upcoming budget debate, the right-wing bloc and the Républicains plan to treat immigration as a line item. Something with a cost, a trade-off. Marine Le Pen has repeatedly framed immigration as a 'financial black hole' for the French state, singling out programmes like free healthcare for undocumented migrants as an unjustifiable burden on the taxpayer. Jordan Bardella has also repeatedly called for an audit of public spending on immigration and integration. For the time being they've stopped short of endorsing Ciotti's commission, but the RN has long championed the idea that immigration is not just a cultural or security issue but has a cost in fiscal terms. The left senses this shift and is now desperately trying to contain it. Hence the vote of no confidence. It's unlikely that the motion will pass at this point, it's unclear for the time being whether the Républicains will support it. But it will allow the left to take back control of the conversation. To frame Ciotti and his allies as demagogues, and Bayrou as weak for tolerating their rhetoric. In effect, the motion of no confidence is a warning shot to the centre. Bayrou, meanwhile, is trying to keep his government afloat. He's weakened by the coming budget shortfall. Austerity is looming. Unions are calling for strikes. Bayrou can't afford to alienate the right, which he depends on for votes. But neither can he be seen to indulge their demands, lest he lose control of his own centre-left flank. So he's hesitating. And while he hesitates, the right advances with growing popular support. The question now is whether anyone in government is honest enough to admit the true cost of immigration. Ciotti has placed that question squarely on the table. The left wants to kick the table over. The coming weeks will reveal whether the Bayrou government has the nerve to let the immigration debate happen, or whether it bows once again to the forces of strategic amnesia. The numbers, meanwhile, won't go away.
