Hours after Thomas Massie’s defeat in Kentucky’s Republican primary, Marjorie Taylor Greene joined the outgoing lawmaker in a sharp public attack on Sen. Ted Cruz.
The feud boiled over on social media on Wednesday, May 20, as the two allies accused Cruz of pushing a controversial provision in President Donald Trump’s sweeping “One Big Beautiful Bill.”
Massie said he and Greene had blocked language that would have shielded AI data centers from key legal oversight.
“I proudly stood in the way of your AI-data center amendment to the Big Beautiful Bill that would have given those companies immunity from the law,” Massie posted on X. “In fact, @mtgreenee and I got it stripped from the bill.”
Greene jumped in right behind him and claimed Cruz and others had wanted a full 10-year ban preventing states from passing any of their own rules on artificial intelligence.
“And they still want to offer it at the altar of the White House to please Trump and all of their donors,” she added.
Cruz Reacts to Massie’s Defeat
The whole drama started earlier in the day after Cruz had praised Massie’s primary defeat, saying Kentucky voters “spoke loud and clear last night” and wanted “fighters who will deliver real results.” Massie, he suggested, had stood in the way too many times.
Massie fell to Ed Gallrein, a Trump-endorsed former Navy SEAL, in what became one of the most expensive House primaries in years.
Greene had campaigned hard for Massie in the closing days. Now both are using the moment to hit back.
At the center of the clash is how Republicans should handle the booming AI industry.
Earlier drafts of the massive bill included a decade-long federal moratorium that would have blocked states from regulating AI.
Backers said it was needed to keep America ahead of China and avoid a messy patchwork of local rules.
Opponents called it a gift to big tech companies that would strip governors and state lawmakers of power over issues such as energy use, water consumption, and zoning for giant data centers.
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Greene has said she only discovered the AI section after voting for an earlier version of the bill and would have opposed it if she had known.
The moratorium faced strong pushback and was later removed, but tensions clearly remain.
The exchange shows the lingering fractures inside the GOP even as Trump tries to steer the party forward.
Massie built a reputation for bucking leadership on spending bills, foreign aid, and transparency issues.
Trump Dumps Massie and Endorses His Opponent
Massie’s independence cost him in the end after Trump dumped him and endorsed his opponent.
Greene, who also left Congress, continues to position herself as a voice for the harder-line America First wing.
Cruz has long argued for strong federal leadership on emerging technology to protect U.S. dominance.
He has tried to find middle ground on AI issues in the past, including shorter timeframes and added safeguards, but those efforts drew fire from multiple directions.
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The public sniping puts the spotlight on deeper questions the party must settle: How much power should Washington have over fast-changing industries?
How closely should lawmakers work with major donors and tech firms? And how far should loyalty to Trump stretch when policy details are on the line?
The AI debate is only growing louder as new data centers rise across the country and worries mount over everything from deepfakes and election interference to job losses.
As of today, Republicans remain split between those who want quick federal action to boost the industry and those who insist that states should keep control.
