Posted on 06/05/2025 5:27:11 AM PDT by MtnClimber
Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) on Wednesday said Elon Musk’s sharp criticism of President Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill” was “flat wrong,” but that he did not take it personally.
Musk on Tuesday torched the GOP spending package on X, calling it “a disgusting abomination,” which the speaker said was a complete 180 from what he had indicated in private just a day earlier.
Johnson and other House Republicans spoke to reporters Wednesday morning on Capitol Hill, where they addressed a variety of topics, including the future of the spending bill.
“I consider Elon a friend,” Johnson told reporters. “It’s curious to me what happened this week. Elon and I had a great conversation—about a half hour long talk— on Monday,” Johnson explained. “We talked about the Big Beautiful Bill.”
He recalled that Elon had questioned how a spending bill could be both big and beautiful, and that he had tried to answer the question.
Johnson said he pointed out that there is an unprecedented $1.6 trillion in spending cuts in the bill and a “record level of savings,” as well as “great policy prescriptions.”
“I explained to him what we’re doing, and that this is just the beginning—you can’t do it all in one bill!” Johnson exclaimed. “It took Congress decades to get to this situation, it’s going to take us a little while to get out of it,” the speaker added. “But we have a very specific plan to do that.”
Johnson told reporters that Musk seemed “encouraged” by his words, and when the conversation turned to the midterm elections, the billionaire said, ‘I’m gonna help. We’ve got to make sure the Republicans keep the House majority.”
The speaker said Musk had expressed concern that if Democrats take the majority in 2026, they’ll immediately move to impeach President Trump.
“The president needs four years to do all this reform—not two years,” Johnson said.
“Elon and I left on a great note,” the speaker continued, “and then yesterday, 24 hours later, he does a 180, and he opposed the bill. It surprised me, frankly. I don’t take it personal.”
Johnson said that policy differences should not be taken personally, but stressed “I think he’s flat wrong. He’s way off on this.”
The speaker also told reporters that he feels very confident about the midterm elections because when the “Big Beautiful Bill” is passed, “every single American is going to do better.”
“I have NO concern whatsoever, I am absolutely convinced we are gonna win the midterms and grow the House majority because we are delivering for the American people and fulfilling our campaign promises,” he said.
Johnson said he called Musk last night, but he didn’t answer.
“I hope to talk to him today,” he told reporters, insisting, “I’m not upset about this.”
The speaker added that he speaks with President Trump “multiple times a day” and that the president “is not delighted that Elon did a 180” on the Big Beautiful Bill.
“I don’t know what happened in 24 hours,” Johnson said. “Everyone can draw their own conclusions about that.”
Meanwhile, on X Wednesday, Musk posted a series of tweets expressing concern about the national debt.
“Interest payments already consume 25% of all government revenue,” the former DOGE chief wrote in response to a post about the United States’ annual budget deficit skyrocketing to over $2 trillion per year. “If the massive deficit spending continues, there will only be money for interest payments and nothing else! No social security, no medical, no defense … nothing.”
In response to Musk’s post, Senator Mike Lee (R-Utah) pointed out that “Congress continues to add to the debt at an astounding rate of $2 trillion per year—with our national debt growing faster than our economy.”
The senator added, “unless we turn this around quickly, our debt and deficit will increasingly threaten our ability to fund the basic operations of government.”
Musk responded: “This is debt slavery for the American people.”
Update:
In a mid-afternoon X post Wednesday, Musk made clear that he was unpersuaded by any GOP defenses of the Big Beautiful Bill.
“Call your Senator, Call your Congressman, Bankrupting America is NOT ok!,” Musk wrote. “KILL the BILL”
Here’s an interesting thought. If musk is outwardly against the bill, is it possible that may actually help the Senate pass it? It could motivate those who don’t like musk.
So instead they should all resign as many towns police departments have done en masse.
I understand anger & frustration but moving towards a balanced budget & lowered deficit depends on growing the economy, cutting waste, unnecessary spending, regulatory burdens & setting tariffs to realign trading partners.
Cold turkey is not a workable solution. It is not wrong to make it very clear to Congress that the American people are fed up but it only advances the process to demand realistic steps not fantasies.
We have to pass it to find out what is in it...
N.Pelosi
Too big to be trusted
Yes. I’m sure he can.
POTUS is a big picture guy and Johnson is a detail man.
Elon has his knickers in a twist. The media & some unscrupulous senators are using him to advance their personal agenda.
Elon has demonstrated his patriotism and sincerity manyfold. He occasionally gets spectacularly triggered & reacts emotionally rather than logically. In the past he has calmed down after a bit.
Right or wrong, it’s still only one bill, and none of us are get it all now.
Are we going to have to suffer through restoration of the Obama tax rates just because Musk and Rand want to hold the fix hostage to their desire to get it all now? Note: Musk is more able to pay the higher taxes than the rest of us.
“Why? Musk has freedom of speech. I keep getting told he saved it”
Musk is sitting on Billions of dollars in Government Contracts and is looking at getting billions of dollars more worth of government contracts.
Congress is who controls the funding of those contracts. Just like with this bill Congress works on extortion like a Mafia. Biden tried to do it and now Johnson can do it. He can threaten these contracts or future Contracts if Musk doesn’t join the push to help pass this bill.
This meeting is “play along like a good boy or we will shut you off...” And they can...
Yeah well everything you said is a non sequitur or factually incorrect. If Elon knows about recission bills then why is he screaming about DOGE cuts that can’t be put into this bill? We know how much revenue the baseline tariffs are already bringing in. And Trump is talking about balanced budgets but not in this bill. If you want to make some sort of point, don’t send me a meandering response that has nothing to do with what I posted. Go respond to someone else. And don’t respond to this because I’m not in the mood to argue with old ladies who have nothing better to do.
Musk is the modern day Howard Hughes - all kinds of secret contracts.
It’s amazing to me the Republicans who voted for it, such as MTG, who admit they didn’t read it and now have objections.
Part of his ‘Spectrum’ reactions ... intense emotions. They’re close friends, as Pres Trump has seen the genius, in Elon, and, has the patience to communicate with.
Reality checks.
Trump thought there could be peace between the Ukraine and Russia because both sides wanted to stop the killing.
The reality is they didn’t.
Musk thought that there were a group of politicians operating under the title of the Republican Party who given an opportunity to restrain and stop the uncontrolled and unsustainable growth of gubmint would do so.
There isn’t and there NEVER was.
Reality bites.
“I saw what the bill had in it, and I saw nothing wrong with it.”
It doesn’t have Trillions of dollars in added spending we don’t need?
The problem is that Elon is approaching this with a logical point of view but there’s nothing logical about politics.
He’s beginning to see the sausage making of legislation.
“Musk is the modern day Howard Hughes - all kinds of secret contracts.”
You bet... Absolutely. But... In turn he has a little clout with that too. For much of it he is the only one who can do it and supply it. Space X and the spy satellite network he is putting up for the military and intelligence agencies for example.
Yea, tell him, not the American public you swamp creature
Perhaps an interesting milestone: @SpaceX commercial revenue from space will exceed the entire budget of @NASA next year.
SpaceX revenue this year will be ~$15.5B, of which NASA is ~$1.1B.— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 3, 2025
Elon contributed millions to elect republicans in 2024 including Trump. Of course they all are kissing the ring.
I think Johnson will threaten him.
NASA is nothing, He is doing a lot of stuff for the government we don’t even know about. Secret military black budget stuff.
Yes.
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