Who Is Thomas Massie, Congressman Who Condemned Trump's Iran Strikes

President Donald Trump has lashed out at Representative Thomas Massie, calling him a "pathetic loser" and urging his Make America Great Again (MAGA) base to cut ties with the congressman over his criticism of US strikes on Iran.

Who Is Thomas Massie?

• Thomas Massie was born on January 13, 1971, in Huntington, West Virginia. He grew up in Vanceburg, Kentucky. His father worked as a beer distributor.
• Thomas Massie earned a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering and a Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
• He is married to Rhonda, his high school sweetheart, and they have four children.
• In 1993, Massie and his wife founded SensAble Devices Inc, a startup focused on touch-based computer interaction. The company was reincorporated in 1996 as SensAble Technologies, Inc after Author and Entrepreneur Bill Aulet joined as a partner.
• Thomas Massie's innovations led to 29 patents, raised $32 million in venture capital, and created 70 jobs. His company's technology has been used in various industries, including automotive, jewellery, dental, and medical implants. He sold the company in 2003. 
• In 2011, Thomas Massie was elected Lewis County Judge-Executive in Kentucky. In November 2012, he was elected to the US House of Representatives, representing Kentucky's 4th Congressional District.

What Is Trump's Beef With Thomas Massie?

In a post on Truth Social, Donald Trump slammed Thomas Massie for opposing the bombing of three Iranian nuclear sites, branding the Kentucky lawmaker as "not MAGA" and accusing him of siding with Iran.

"Massie is weak, ineffective, and votes 'NO' on virtually everything," Trump wrote. "He is disrespectful to our great military... which was a total and complete WIN."

Massie earlier condemned the strikes as unconstitutional, posting on X that the president did not have congressional authorisation. He followed up by introducing a war powers resolution to prohibit US involvement in Iran.

Trump claimed Massie would oppose his "Great, Big, Beautiful Bill" to avoid tax hikes and broader consequences. "MAGA should drop this pathetic LOSER, Tom Massie, like the plague!" Trump wrote.

After US strikes hit Iran's nuclear sites, Tehran launched missile attacks on Israeli cities. Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei responded, calling Israel the "Zionist enemy" and vowing continued punishment. "The Zionist enemy has made a big mistake, committed a big crime; it must be punished and it is being punished; it is being punished right now," he said, sharing an image of airstrikes featuring a skull marked with a Star of David, a symbol from Israel's flag.