Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., said Sunday he would support a short-term agreement with Iran after President Donald Trump announced that a deal with Tehran had “largely been negotiated,” arguing Americans are already feeling the economic pain from the conflict.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Heck yes, I would support it!” Massie said on NBC\u2019s “Meet the Press” when asked whether he would back a short-term Iran deal. “We don\u2019t know what the terms of it are, but if Lindsey Graham and Ted Cruz are crashing out last night, I\u2019d say it\u2019s probably a pretty good deal.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Massie, a longtime critic of U.S. military intervention overseas, tied his support for a deal to rising fuel and farming costs at home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“My constituents are hurting,” Massie said. “Gas is almost $5 a gallon. Diesel is almost $6 a gallon, and the farmers here in Kentucky can\u2019t afford the fertilizer to put on their fields.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Kentucky Republican also defended his record after losing his Republican primary this week following seven terms in Congress, arguing his independence in Washington ultimately cost him politically.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Since the day I got to Washington D.C., I\u2019ve been doing this job like I thought people wanted you to do it,” Massie said. “I read the bills. I didn\u2019t give my voting card to the speaker. I\u2019ve never given it to a president. I don\u2019t even give my voting card to the Freedom Caucus. I vote for people over party.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Massie argued that his willingness to work across the aisle, including alongside Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna on legislation related to the Epstein files, made him a target.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“I think the biggest crime I committed against the swamp, Kristen, was showing the American people that somebody on the right could join somebody on the left and get something done,” Massie said. “That\u2019s when they decided I had to be taken out.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Massie also claimed outside spending overwhelmed his campaign.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“They couldn\u2019t buy my vote in 14 years, so they bought this seat,” Massie said. “This was the most expensive race in congressional primary history.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The congressman warned Republicans could face political fallout ahead of the midterms, arguing the party has alienated several factions of Trump\u2019s coalition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“There\u2019s a growing number of people on the right who have a form of TDS called Trump disappointment syndrome,” Massie said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“They\u2019ve alienated MAHA by kowtowing to the pesticide manufacturers and the pharmaceutical manufacturers. They\u2019ve alienated the fiscal hawks by running DOGE out of town. They\u2019ve alienated the people who don\u2019t want to fight another war,” Massie said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Massie also criticized GOP leadership over spending fights in Congress, including opposition to funding Trump-backed projects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“The ballroom, I mean that is such an egregious waste of money,” Massie said, referring to the proposed White House ballroom project. “It\u2019s a slap in the face of Americans.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Massie argued economic concerns should take priority over what he described as excessive federal spending and foreign commitments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“We\u2019re operating like a Roman Empire,” Massie said. “We\u2019re overextended overseas with our foreign aid, with our foreign bases. We\u2019re spending money that we don\u2019t have, and the gasoline and rent and groceries are so high that people can\u2019t afford it.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Trump said Saturday on Truth Social that an agreement with Iran had “largely been negotiated,” though no formal deal details had been released as of Sunday morning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n