Speaker Johnson calls Musk criticism of Trump agenda bill ‘terribly wrong'
Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) on Tuesday said Elon Musk's sharp criticism of the party's massive tax cuts and spending bill is 'terribly wrong.'
The comments came minutes after Musk torched the sprawling package on X, calling it 'a disgusting abomination.'
'Let me say this: It's very disappointing,' Johnson told reporters at the Capitol, later adding: 'With all due respect, my friend Elon is terribly wrong about the one big, beautiful bill.'
The Speaker said he spoke to Musk by telephone for more than 20 minutes on Monday, a conversation that came after the billionaire tech mogul last week said he was 'disappointed' with the legislation.
'I extolled all the virtues of the bill, and he seemed to understand that. We had a very friendly conversation about it,' he said, telling reporters later on that the bill is 'A very important first start.'
'Elon is missing it, okay. And it's not personal,' he added.
The Speaker suggested that opposition from Musk — the CEO of Tesla — is rooted in language in the bill that eliminates electric vehicle tax credits enacted by Democrats in 2022.
'I know that the EV mandate is very important to him; that is going away because the government should not be subsidizing these things as part of the Green New Deal,' Johnson said. 'I know that has an effect on his business and I lament that. We talked about the ramp down period on that and how that should be duly considered by Congress.'
'But for him to come out and pan the whole bill is to me just very disappointing — very surprising, in light of the conversation I had with him yesterday,' he added.
Pressed on if he believes Tesla is prompting Musk's posture, Johnson responded: 'I'm gonna let others draw their own conclusions about that.'
'I just deeply regret that he's made this mistake,' he added.
Musk dropped a grenade in GOP circles on Tuesday when he ratcheted up his criticism of the 'big, beautiful bill' on X, slamming its price tag.
'I'm sorry, but I just can't stand it anymore. This massive, outrageous, pork-filled Congressional spending bill is a disgusting abomination. Shame on those who voted for it: you know you did wrong. You know it,' Musk wrote.
'It will massively increase the already gigantic budget deficit to $2.5 trillion (!!!) and burden America citizens with crushingly unsustainable debt,' he added in a separate post.
Last week, Musk said he was 'disappointed' with the bill because of its price tag, lamenting that the legislation was undermining the work he did with the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
Musk's criticism comes days after the billionaire tech mogul departed the White House, and as the president is working to get the package enacted by the party's self-imposed July 4 deadline.
The legislation passed through the House in a narrow 215-214-1 vote last month and is now in the Senate, where Republicans are looking to make changes before sending it back to the House for final approval.
Trump played a role in getting the bill over the finish line in the House, speaking with skeptical conservative until they got on board. He is beginning to do the same in the Senate, talking with on-the-fence Republicans as the chamber starts diving into the measure.
Asked by The Hill if he is worried Musk's comments could unravel support for the legislation, Johnson was stoic.
'No, I'm not worried about that,' the Speaker said. 'We have to get this job done and we will.'
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, similarly, brushed aside Musk's comments.
'The president already knows where Elon Musk stood on this bill, it doesn't change the president's opinion,' she said Tuesday. 'This is one big, beautiful bill and he's sticking to it.'
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