Trump vs. Massie: Who’s Right?

SECOND VERSE SAME AS THE FIRST: In this file photo from 2015, U.S. Rep. Thomas Massie and Sen. Rand Paul, both Republicans from Kentucky, discuss continuing resolutions and looming government shutdowns. On Tuesday, Massie was the lone Republican to vote no on a continuing resolution that will fund the government at current spending levels through September -- and for his efforts, President Donald Trump threatened to primary him. Paul also intends to vote against it in the Senate today. If the CR fails to pass by midnight, the government will shut down.

President Donald Trump got his way earlier this week when the U.S. House of Representatives passed a continuing resolution, on a vote of 217-213, to keep the government funded. But was it the right thing to do?

It was the first hurdle to avoid a government shutdown. Speaker Mike Johnson needed all Republicans on board because their majority margin is slim, and the Democrats seemed bent on shutting down the government. So all the Republicans in the House voted yea for funding through September 30, 2025 — except one. Rep. Thomas Massie from Kentucky, who wears a miniature electronic debt clock on his lapel, voted no. And because of his stance, Trump said he’ll find a tough Republican to back who will challenge Massie for his job in a primary.

But Massie’s conscience wouldn’t let him vote for the bill. He wrote on X: “By continuing 2024 appropriations into 2025 with a ‘Continuing Resolution,’ Congress just locked in a large portion of the Biden agenda for the first nine months of Trump’s presidency.”

Torn Between Two Chambers

However, according to CBS News (as well as many other outlets), Biden’s agenda and spending have changed slightly. The Continuing Resolution cuts domestic spending by $13 billion and increases military spending by $6 billion. It also increases funding for Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) and veterans’ healthcare.

The bill now is in the hands of the Senate, which must pass it by midnight tonight to avoid a shutdown. Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said the House Republicans didn’t seek his party’s input, and as a result the 60 votes needed to prevent a filibuster don’t exist in the upper chamber. (He later flip-flopped, and announced that he and other Democrats would support the Continuing Resolution.) Kentucky Republican Sen. Rand Paul (another Kentucky Republican) plans to oppose the bill as well.  

Adding to the drama, after Tuesday’s vote, Johnson promptly recessed the House until March 24 (a very Trumpian move). The Democrats can’t send it back with changes because the House is on recess — but if not enough of them vote yea for the bill in its current form, the Republicans will blame them for the shutdown. Many Democrats also say they are terrified that if they vote no, Trump and Musk will have full power to shut down any parts of the government they want.

Political Gamesmanship

There is a lot of political gamesmanship going on, and it seems the Republicans have thought things through and are playing hardball. From foreign to fiscal policy, it’s obvious how aggressive Trump is in his second term. He’s pushing hard for his agenda.

But Massie pointed out that when this CR runs out in September, the Republicans still won’t have 60 votes in the Senate; the obvious inference is that they should cut spending now. But Trump wanted the CR, and when Massie said he’d vote no, Trump threatened him with a primary.

If politicians use gamesmanship and hardball strategy to achieve a good agenda, one they ran on, it’s understandable — even admirable. Massie is right that we must cut government spending, but there is a glaring fact that is not working in his favor: DOGE is doing its work, and at the pace that Elon Musk and his team are going, the administration will have a sound budget proposal and a significantly reduced workforce by September. The government will already be operating under a smaller budget with fewer employees; contracts are currently being canceled, grants pulled, and foreign handouts rescinded at a dizzying speed. Congress will look foolish trying to add spending to a balanced budget, or at least one that is nearly so. So far, Trump’s strategy looks brilliant, but he gets angry because Massie can’t see it.

Massie is not worried about Trump’s anger or threats, though. When reporters asked him if he is concerned that Trump would primary him, he laughed it off and pointed out two things: Trump tried that in 2020, and it didn’t work. Mark Meadows was in trouble with Trump, too — and he later wound up becoming his chief of staff.

Could We Look to Reagan for an Example of the Right Thing to Do?

Former President Ronald Reagan had a principle he applied to political relationships: his 80/20 rule. “The person who agrees with you 80% of the time is an ally, not a 20% traitor.” Reagan also said, “If we love our country, we should also love our countrymen.”

We can see that Rep. Thomas Massie and Sen. Rand Paul are right in principle, but regarding political strategy, perhaps at the wrong time. Ultimately, however, Trump respects his adversaries if they are honest and stand on principle. He only holds grudges against those who don’t later turn and realign with him — primarily when they continue to attack him dishonestly.

With Trump, we can’t expect Reagan’s approach, but Massie and Paul will realign because they agree with at least 80% of Trump’s agenda. Given the president’s past behavior, as soon as either man supports him in a pinch, Trump will heap praises on them.

Times are different now than when Reagan was in office. Our politics are much more aggressive. Reagan charmed the country, had the people on his side, and invited the Speaker of the House over for dinner, drinks, and joke-telling to get his agenda through. Conversely, Trump plays the hard-nosed businessman, and I doubt any Democrat leaders would accept his invitations. How can you even try to work that way with people who voted to impeach you over a phone call in which you made a passing mention of something someone else did?

So, what’s the right thing for us to do?

Vote for more principled politicians, especially those with electronic debt clocks on their lapels. Let’s hope they hold everyone’s feet to the fire regarding extravagant government spending. And then Trump, Musk, Massie, and Paul can celebrate with the rest of us when we get our fiscal house in order.

James Malloy is the author of Economic Clarity or Political Confusion: The Classical Cure for Keynesian Debt & Deficits. He has a B.S. in business economics and has been an active licensed California mortgage and real estate broker for twenty years. Contact him at econclarity.com.