Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) dismissed President Donald Trump‘s fury at Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as posturing, arguing instead that a one-month suspension of U.S. aid to Israel would yield “instant peace” and slash domestic gas prices by approximately $2 per gallon.
A Heated Call And Dismissive Reaction
Massie’s June 2 statement followed an Axios report outlining a deeply strained, profanity-laced telephone call between Trump and Netanyahu concerning Israel’s military escalation in Lebanon.
The report claimed Trump was enraged that Israeli maneuvers threatened U.S. diplomatic objectives in the region. Reportedly, Trump called Netanyahu “crazy” and said he would “be in prison if it weren’t for me.” Trump allegedly added, “Everybody hates you now. Everybody hates Israel because of this.”
Reacting directly to this dramatic exchange, Representative Massie was thoroughly unimpressed, opening his social media post with a blunt dismissal of the former president’s confrontation: “It’s all talk.”
Tying Foreign Aid To The Gas Pump
Rather than relying on intense phone calls, Massie proposed leveraging the U.S. financial relationship with Israel to stabilize both the Middle East and the American economy.
“Just withhold foreign aid to Israel for a month and they’ll stop bombing their neighbors,” the congressman wrote on X. He asserted that this financial blockade would guarantee “instant peace, the Strait of Hormuz can be opened, and gas drops $2 a gallon.”
Massie closed his critique by stating, “Israel has been, and continues to be, the biggest welfare recipient from American tax payers.”
Current Pain At The Pump
The congressman’s promise of a $2-per-gallon reduction targets a major, ongoing economic frustration for American voters.
According to data by AAA, the national average retail price for a gallon of gasoline sat at exactly $4.290 on June 2.
If Massie’s aggressive foreign policy proposition were enacted and yielded his exact predicted results, the national average would plummet to $2.29 per gallon, a relief for domestic drivers currently facing elevated fuel costs.
How Have Markets Performed In 2026?
The S&P 500 index has advanced 10.95% year-to-date. Similarly, the Nasdaq Composite index was up 16.60%, and the Dow Jones gained 6.05% YTD.
The SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (NYSE:SPY) and Invesco QQQ Trust ETF (NASDAQ:QQQ), which track the S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100, respectively, closed higher on Tuesday. The SPY ended up 0.14% at $759.57, while the QQQ was higher by 0.46% to $746.16.
Meanwhile, Dow tracker, State Street SPDR Dow Jones Industrial Average ETF Trust (NYSE:DIA), closed 0.51% higher on Tuesday.
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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