Speaker Johnson: Trump ‘not delighted' at Musk ‘180' on megabill
Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) said Wednesday that President Trump is 'not delighted' with Elon Musk's shift to oppose the megabill of the president's tax cut and spending priorities, saying that the billionaire tech mogul had reversed positions by trashing the legislation.
'He's not delighted that Elon did a 180 on that,' Johnson said Wednesday.
Trump himself has not personally weighed in on Musk calling the One Big Beautiful Bill Act — which is meant to be a defining legislative achievement for the president — a 'disgusting abomination' in post Tuesday on social platform X.
Johnson said he talked to Musk for half an hour Monday, arguing that the bill is 'just the beginning of a long process of making government more efficient and effective, of cutting wasteful spending, fraud and abuse.'
'Elon was encouraged by that conversation,' Johnson said. 'We left on a great note. We were texting one another, you know, happy texts, you know, Monday'
'And then yesterday, you know, 24 hours later, he does a 180 and he comes out as opposed to the bill. And it surprised me, frankly,' Johnson said.
Musk railed against the 'one big, beautiful bill' in the post Tuesday, calling it 'outrageous' and 'pork-filled' due to its effects on federal deficits.
The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office said Wednesday the bill would add $2.4 trillion in deficits over a decade, though top Republicans reject that math by arguing it does not adequately take into account economic growth that will be spurred by the tax cuts.
The bill, in part, extends Trump's 2017 tax cuts and boosts funding for border and defense priorities, while making cuts to spending on social safety net programs such as Medicaid and food aid.
'Shame on those who voted for it: you know you did wrong. You know it,' Musk added.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters Tuesday that Trump knew where Musk stood and that 'It doesn't change the president's opinion' about the bill.
Johnson said he called Musk Tuesday night, but the billionaire did not answer.
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