Rep. Thomas Massie isn’t worried about President Trump coming after him in a primary election over his opposition to the health care bill that sputtered out last week in the House, saying the commander-in-chief is “burning political capital” by listening to members of the establishment and attacking conservatives that want to help him deliver on his promise to “drain the swamp.”
“He can bring Air Force One, Marine One and Amtrak One, it is not going to change what I am going to do,” Mr. Massie, Kentucky Republican, said on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe. “My constituents … sent me to D.C. frankly to drain the swamp and we were excited, you know, conservatives were excited when we heard Donald Trump was coming to help us drain the swamp, but now he is taking advice from the swamp creatures.”
House Speaker Paul D. Ryan and Mr. Trump failed to push a health care bill through the House last week.
The effort collapsed in embarrassing fashion, thanks to opposition from all Democrats, as well as most members of the Freedom Caucus, other conservatives like Mr. Massie, and some more moderate Republicans.
Mr. Trump appeared to declare war Thursday against the Freedom Caucus and went on to single out members of the group who helped sink the health care bill.
Mr. Massie said Mr. Trump’s social media attacks and threats of primary challenges against conservative Republicans are not going to help him advance his agenda through Congress.
SEE ALSO: Donald Trump warns Freedom Caucus to ‘get on the team’
“He is burning political capital with every tweet that attacks the guys that came to Washington, D.C., to drain the swamp,” Mr. Massie said.
• Seth McLaughlin can be reached at smclaughlin@washingtontimes.com.
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