WASHINGTON — House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., on Wednesday said President Donald Trump is “not delighted” by what he referred to as Elon Musk’s “180” on what has been labeled the “one, big, beautiful bill” containing the commander in chief’s legislative priorities.
Johnson said he was going to attempt to make a direct appeal to Musk after the billionaire urged Republicans to "KILL the BILL" and replace it with new legislation. The dispute comes as the speaker said he and his party are hoping to rely on his deep pockets for the 2026 midterm elections.
“I talk to President Trump, you know, all the time, multiple times a day,” Johnson said at a press conference at the Capitol. “Obviously, we've talked about this – he's, as you know, he's not delighted that Elon did a 180 on that.”
He added later in the day that Republicans "dont have time for a brand new bill. And I want Elon and all my friends to recognize the complexity of what we've accomplished here."
Johnson’s comment gives insight into the thinking of the president, who has been quiet on the subject of Musk since the billionaire who once led Trump’s sweeping government downsizing campaign, flooded his profile on his social media site X this week with criticisms of the bill just days after officially leaving his “special government employee” role in the administration.
“I’m sorry, but I just can’t stand it anymore,” Musk posted on X on Tuesday. “This massive, outrageous, pork-filled Congressional spending bill is a disgusting abomination."
Musk's opposition centers on the fact that the bill would increase the national debt by trillions in the coming years, writing on Wednesday that “America is in the fast lane to debt slavery.” According to the nonpartisand Congressional Budget Office, the bill would cut taxes by $3.75 trillion but also increase deficits by $2.4 trillion over the next decade, while also taking away health care from 10.9 million people.
“Shame on those who voted for it: you know you did wrong,” the billionaire owner of Tesla, X and SpaceX wrote in a post on Tuesday in what marked a major escalation of his critique expressed in a CBS News interview last week in which he said he was “disappointed” that the legislation undermined DOGE.
Johnson said he was “surprised” by Musk’s hard-hitting condemnation of the bill on X Tuesday given that the pair spoke over the phone for about a half hour on Monday. The speaker said he explained to Musk that the House Republicans were at the “beginning of a long process of making government more efficient and effective,” something that can’t be accomplished in one bill, adding that the billionaire appeared “encouraged.”
“Elon and I left on a great note, we were texting one another, you know, happy texts Monday,” Johnson said. “And then yesterday – 24 hours later – he does a 180, and he comes out and opposed the bill and it surprised me, frankly.”
Johnson said he planned to get in touch with Musk again and "extoll the merits" of the legislation. The billionaire, the speaker said, did not pick up his call Tuesday night.
"I know... it's not perfect by some peoples' estimations. But you cannot make a perfect the enemy of the very, very, very good. We're proud of this product. The House Republicans are proud of it and we're happy to go out and explain that to everybody," Johnson said.
The speaker, however, dismissed any potential concerns regarding next year’s elections in which Republicans are looking to keep control of the House despite Musk’s flurry of posts including a threat to “fire all politicians who betrayed the American people” in supporting the bill in the 2026 November midterms.
He said his Monday conversation with Musk included talk of next year’s midterms and the billionaire expressed a desire to aid House Republicans.
“And he and I talked about the midterm elections, and he said, ‘Well, I'm going to help. We got to make sure that the Republicans keep the House majority,’” Johnson said.
All of this is despite Musk – who spent at least $250 million in the 2024 election – saying last month that he intends to tamp down his political spending.
The bill which passed the House last month would extend Trump’s 2017 tax cuts while temporarily adding new ones — like no taxes on tips and overtime pay — and designate additional funds for defense and border security. It looks to make up for lost revenue to the federal government from tax cuts in part by making changes to programs like Medicaid and SNAP. It would also raise the nation’s debt ceiling.
Musk’s criticisms come as Trump is looking to ensure the legislation clears the Senate – a task that may present some challenges – before it goes back to the House and ultimately his desk, all by the fourth of July.
Despite staying quiet on Musk’s criticisms, Trump has blasted Senate Republicans who have expressed similar concerns. The president specifically spent Tuesday morning slamming GOP Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, who is opposing the bill for raising the debt ceiling and has criticized it for adding to the nation’s deficit and not doing enough to cut spending.
“Rand Paul has very little understanding of the BBB, especially the tremendous GROWTH that is coming,” Trump wrote, referring to the “big, beautiful bill. “He loves voting “NO” on everything, he thinks it’s good politics, but it’s not.”
