President Donald Trump believes Republican House members who voted against his “one big, beautiful bill” should be primaried, press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters on Thursday.
Reps. Thomas Massie and Warren Davidson were the only Republicans to vote against the bill. When a reporter asked if the president wants them to be primaried, Leavitt replied, “I believe he does.”
“I don’t think he likes to see grandstanders in Congress,” she continued. “‘What’s the alternative?’ I would ask those members of Congress. Did they want to see a tax hike? Did they want to see our country go bankrupt? That’s the alternative by them trying to vote no.”
The reconciliation bill passed the House on Thursday morning despite concerns from hardliners, highlighting a split between the president and some of his most faithful allies in Congress. Though many previous holdouts over the prior weeks caved after a meeting with Trump, two Republicans voted against the legislation and one, House Freedom Caucus Chair Andy Harris, voted present.
Trending
In a post on X, Davidson wrote, “While I love many things in the bill, promising someone else will cut spending in the future does not cut spending. Deficits do matter, and this bill grows them now.” Massie reposted it and added: “if we were serious, we’d be cutting spending now, instead of promising to cut spending years from now.”
Leavitt suggested that Massie, Davidson and other Republican lawmakers should keep in mind who’s in charge.
“The president believes the Republican Party needs to be unified, and the vast majority of Republicans clearly are and are listening to the president,” Leavitt said. “The president’s approval rating is at an all-time high right now because he knows how to deliver. And Republicans like Thomas Massie and others should take note,” she said.
—
Nuha Dolby is a NOTUS reporter and an Allbritton Journalism Institute fellow.
Author
