Washington DC – House Speaker Mike Johnson led a chorus of Republicans coming out in defense of Donald Trump after the far-right billionaire Elon Musk blasted the president’s signature spending bill.
“Let me say this: It’s very disappointing,” Johnson told reporters on Capitol Hill. “I’ve come to consider Elon a good friend. He’s obviously a very intelligent person, and he’s done a lot of great work.”
“He’s obviously a very intelligent person, and he’s done a lot of great work. We’ve applauded all the work they’ve done with DOGE and identifying fraud, waste and abuse in the government, it’s a very important service that’s been performed.”
“But with all due respect, my friend Elon is terribly wrong about the ‘One, Big, Beautiful Bill.”
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Johnson said that he had spoken to Musk about the bill on Monday, and “extolled” its virtues, but it seems to have not helped reduce the ex-Trump special advisor’s anger.
Musk left the so-called Department of Government Efficiency last week, amid rumors of a fallout with members of cabinet over Trump’s spending bill. Having gently criticized the legislation in the past, Musk let rip on Tuesday calling it “a disgusting abomination.”
“Shame on those who voted for it: you know you did wrong. You know it,” Musk railed on X.
He followed up his post by threatening lawmakers involved in the spending bill: “In November next year, we fire all politicians who betrayed the American people.”
Johnson was not alone is responding to Musk’s concerns, which largely center around projections that see Trump’s bill skyrocketing the deficit by as much as $3 trillion.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune said that various members of the Trump administration have “a difference of opinion” with Musk, but that he doesn’t see it as a big deal.
North Carolina Senator Thom Tillis was cited by Politico as saying that Musk is “entitled to his opinion,” but that no changes would be made to the spending bill based on protests from the ex-DOGE head.
Not all voices opposed Musk’s view, however, with Texas Senator Ted Cruz saying that he thinks the Senate “should make the bill substantially better, and I hope and believe we’ll do that.”
