Republican Congressman Thomas Massie (R-KY) called for the United States to end all aid to Israel on Friday.
Posting on X (formerly Twitter), Massie stated: “Nothing can justify the number of civilian casualties—tens of thousands of women and children—inflicted by Israel in Gaza over the last two years. We should end all U.S. military aid to Israel now.”
Massie’s statement makes him the first Republican member of Congress since October 7, 2023, to explicitly call for a complete end to aid to Israel.
While three other Republicans, along with Massie, previously voted against the February 2024 foreign aid package—which included $17.6 billion in assistance for Israel—none cited the civilian death toll in Gaza. Instead, their opposition was rooted in fiscal concerns and a desire to avoid entangling the U.S. in foreign conflicts.
Massie, a prominent Republican in Congress since 2012, revealed in a 2023 interview with Tucker Carlson that every member of Congress has an “AIPAC guy”—a reference to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee—who advises lawmakers on how to vote in alignment with the group's interests.
His remarks followed a high-profile clash with AIPAC after his “no” vote on the aid package. During the 2024 election cycle, AIPAC funded a $300,000 television ad campaign targeting Massie, although they did not endorse a challenger—likely due to his strong popularity and fundraising capabilities. Massie ultimately outraised the group and won both his primary and general election races comfortably, later calling AIPAC’s efforts a “failure.”
Massie’s statement on Friday comes amid growing criticism of U.S. support for Israel among isolationist and populist Republicans, many of whom are influential within former President Donald Trump’s voter base.
Earlier this month, Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) publicly opposed potential military action against Iran, warning against going to war “on behalf of a foreign country”—a clear reference to Israel.
The emergence of Republican lawmakers openly questioning or opposing aid to Israel, and in Massie’s case, condemning its conduct in Gaza, reflects a notable shift within the GOP. Once an arena where strong pro-Israel stances were virtually required for political credibility, the Republican Party is now witnessing the rise of voices challenging that orthodoxy.