{"id":18960,"date":"2026-07-27T16:11:11","date_gmt":"2026-07-27T11:11:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=18960"},"modified":"2026-07-27T16:11:11","modified_gmt":"2026-07-27T11:11:11","slug":"rep-thomas-massie-asserts-the-iran-war-has-weakened-america","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=18960","title":{"rendered":"Rep. Thomas Massie asserts the Iran war has &#8216;weakened&#8217; America"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><script>\r\n  atOptions = {\r\n    'key' : '644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6',\r\n    'format' : 'iframe',\r\n    'height' : 90,\r\n    'width' : 728,\r\n    'params' : {}\r\n  };\r\n<\/script>\r\n<script src=\"https:\/\/www.highperformanceformat.com\/644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<div id=\"beyondwords-wrapper\" data-layout-index=\"5\" class=\"beyondwords-wrapper\">\n<p><span class=\"label-bg\">NEW<\/span>You can now listen to Fox News articles!\n  <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\" class=\"speakable\">Republican Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky argued Sunday that the war with Iran has &#8220;weakened&#8221; the United States.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\" class=\"speakable\">&#8220;The U.S. has been significantly weakened by the war with Iran,&#8221; the congressman wrote in a Sunday <a data-omtr-intcmp=\"fnc_politics_article_main-content_article-body_6_1051171\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/RepThomasMassie\/status\/2081451481190871532\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\">post<\/a> on X.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">&#8220;This administration depleted our missile defenses, drained our oil reserves, sacrificed our men &amp; women, inflated the price of consumer goods, increased our debt, and neglected our domestic needs\u2026&#8221; he continued, adding, &#8220;all for Israel.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">Some parts of Massie\u2019s criticism align with publicly reported effects of the conflict. The Energy Department authorized the release of 172 million barrels from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, while news reports and congressional spending measures have pointed to heavy demand for U.S. missile-defense systems and billions of dollars in additional defense funding. His broader assertion that the United States has been &#8220;significantly weakened&#8221; is a political judgment.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\"><a data-omtr-intcmp=\"fnc_politics_article_main-content_article-body_6_1051172\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/politics\/house-republican-thomas-massie-suggests-obamacare-could-now-be-labeled-trumpcare\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>HOUSE REPUBLICAN THOMAS MASSIE SUGGESTS OBAMACARE COULD NOW BE LABELED &#8216;TRUMPCARE&#8217;<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<div data-layout-index=\"5\" class=\"image-ct inline\">\n<div class=\"m\"><picture><source media=\"(max-width: 767px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/343\/192\/thomas-massie-06-25-2026-1.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/686\/384\/thomas-massie-06-25-2026-1.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"192\" width=\"343\"><source media=\"(min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1023px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/672\/378\/thomas-massie-06-25-2026-1.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1344\/756\/thomas-massie-06-25-2026-1.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"378\" width=\"672\"><source media=\"(min-width: 1024px) and (max-width: 1279px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/931\/523\/thomas-massie-06-25-2026-1.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1862\/1046\/thomas-massie-06-25-2026-1.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"523\" width=\"931\"><source media=\"(min-width: 1280px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/720\/405\/thomas-massie-06-25-2026-1.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1440\/810\/thomas-massie-06-25-2026-1.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"405\" width=\"720\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1200\/675\/thomas-massie-06-25-2026-1.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1\" alt=\"Rep. Thomas Massie\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\"\/><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>\n<div class=\"info\">\n<div class=\"caption\">\n<p><span>Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., leaves the U.S. Capitol after the last votes of the week on Thursday, June 25, 2026.<\/span> <span>(Tom Williams\/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">Fox News Digital reached out to the <a data-omtr-intcmp=\"fnc_politics_article_main-content_article-body_6_1051173\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/category\/politics\/executive\/white-house\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">White House<\/a> early on Monday morning to request a comment.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">Massie, who has served in the U.S. House of Representatives for more than 13 years, <a data-omtr-intcmp=\"fnc_politics_article_main-content_article-body_6_1051174\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/politics\/trump-backed-navy-seal-vet-delivers-major-blow-massie-fiery-gop-primary\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">lost the May Republican primary<\/a> in Kentucky&#8217;s 4th Congressional District to President Donald Trump-backed challenger, retired Navy SEAL Ed Gallrein.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\"><a data-omtr-intcmp=\"fnc_politics_article_main-content_article-body_6_1051175\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/politics\/massie-lashes-out-pressed-ex-girlfriends-allegations-affair-gop-firebrand\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>MASSIE LASHES OUT WHEN PRESSED ON EX-GIRLFRIEND&#8217;S ALLEGATIONS OF AFFAIR WITH GOP FIREBRAND<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">In a Friday post on X, Massie accused Trump of shifting toward a neoconservative foreign policy, <a data-omtr-intcmp=\"fnc_politics_article_main-content_article-body_6_1051177\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/RepThomasMassie\/status\/2080799373475066306\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">writing<\/a>, &#8220;Why did he flip to neocon?&#8221;<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">Former National Counterterrorism Center Director Joe Kent, who <a data-omtr-intcmp=\"fnc_politics_article_main-content_article-body_6_1051178\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/politics\/top-counterterrorism-official-resigns-protest-us-war-iran\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">quit earlier this year<\/a> due to his opposition to the Iran war, has been calling for President Trump to withdraw U.S. forces from the region.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\"><a data-omtr-intcmp=\"fnc_politics_article_main-content_article-body_6_1051179\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/world\/ex-counterterrorism-official-joe-kent-continues-calling-us-military-withdrawal-middle-east\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>EX-COUNTERTERRORISM OFFICIAL JOE KENT CONTINUES CALLING FOR US MILITARY WITHDRAWAL FROM MIDDLE EAST<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<div data-layout-index=\"5\" class=\"image-ct inline\">\n<div class=\"m\"><picture><source media=\"(max-width: 767px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/343\/192\/president-donald-trump-july-22-2026.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/686\/384\/president-donald-trump-july-22-2026.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"192\" width=\"343\"><source media=\"(min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1023px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/672\/378\/president-donald-trump-july-22-2026.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1344\/756\/president-donald-trump-july-22-2026.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"378\" width=\"672\"><source media=\"(min-width: 1024px) and (max-width: 1279px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/931\/523\/president-donald-trump-july-22-2026.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1862\/1046\/president-donald-trump-july-22-2026.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"523\" width=\"931\"><source media=\"(min-width: 1280px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/720\/405\/president-donald-trump-july-22-2026.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1440\/810\/president-donald-trump-july-22-2026.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"405\" width=\"720\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1200\/675\/president-donald-trump-july-22-2026.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1\" alt=\"President Donald Trump\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\"\/><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>\n<div class=\"info\">\n<div class=\"caption\">\n<p><span>U.S. President Donald Trump motions to reporters after getting off Air Force One on July 22, 2026, at Joint Base Andrews, Md.<\/span> <span>(Kevin Dietsch\/Getty Images)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\"><a href=\"https:\/\/foxnews.onelink.me\/xLDS?pid=AppArticleLink&amp;af_dp=foxnewsaf%3A%2F%2F&amp;af_web_dp=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.foxnews.com%2Fapps-products\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong><u>CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP<\/u><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">&#8220;The Israelis know they can\u2019t fight this war without the U.S., so their goal is to get us on board with more strikes, ground troops, etc., in the hopes that American causalities will sway public opinion enough to escalate into a chaotic, drawn-out war,&#8221; Kent wrote in part of a Sunday <a data-omtr-intcmp=\"fnc_politics_article_main-content_article-body_6_1051181\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/joekent16jan19\/status\/2081440118175314262\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\">post<\/a> on X. &#8220;Our only viable option is to leave now\u2014President Trump should use this pause in fighting to get our troops out &amp; use quiet economic diplomacy to reopen the SOH &amp; BAM.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">The Trump administration has defended the military campaign as necessary to destroy Iran\u2019s missile capabilities, cripple its navy, sever its support for terrorist proxies and prevent it from obtaining a nuclear weapon. The White House has also credited what it called &#8220;decisive American strength&#8221; with producing an agreement intended to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon and reopen the Strait of Hormuz.<\/p>\n<p> <!----> <!----> <\/p>\n<div class=\"article-meta\">\n<div class=\"author-bio\">\n<p>Alex Nitzberg is a writer for Fox News Digital.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<script async=\"async\" data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"https:\/\/pl30214220.effectivecpmnetwork.com\/9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<div id=\"container-9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\"><\/div>\r\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! Republican Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky argued Sunday that the war with Iran has &#8220;weakened&#8221; the United States. &#8220;The U.S. has been significantly weakened by the war with Iran,&#8221; the congressman wrote in a Sunday post on X. &#8220;This administration depleted our missile defenses, drained our oil&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":18961,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/thomas-massie-06-25-2026-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-18960","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-political-news"],"brizy_media":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18960","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=18960"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18960\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/18961"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=18960"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=18960"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=18960"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}