Speaker Mike Johnson exhibited a surprising boldness on Sunday, clearly aligning himself in the public rift between President Donald Trump and billionaire Elon Musk. As a prominent Republican figure and steadfast Trump supporter, Johnson expressed confidence that Musk’s disapproval of the GOP’s significant tax and budget policy bill would not thwart its progress, suggesting Musk’s sway over the Republican-led Congress was not substantial.
“We didn’t draft this legislation to win favor with the wealthiest man on the planet,” Johnson affirmed during an appearance on ABC’s “This Week.” Instead, he emphasized their aim to aid diligent Americans striving for family sustenance and financial stability.
Johnson mentioned having exchanged messages with Musk after Musk criticized the GOP bill, labeling it a “disaster” poised to escalate U.S. debt and jeopardize economic security. Musk rallied voters to inundate Capitol Hill with calls opposing the bill, which recently passed the House and awaits Senate deliberation. This criticism triggered a heated exchange on social media with Trump, who declared he had no intention to mend ties with Musk.
Johnson brushed off Musk’s threats to financially back opponents, including Democrats, against Republicans endorsing Trump’s proposal. “We’ve gotten virtually no calls at the offices from any Republican members of Congress,” Johnson stated, suggesting that this shows constituents are adopting a wait-and-see perspective. While some may consider Musk’s viewpoint, many recognize the bill’s potential benefits, he asserted.
Johnson maintained that Musk still believes Republican strategies promote human prosperity, boosting the U.S. economy and supporting Musk’s ventures in innovation and entrepreneurship.
The speaker and other Republicans, notably Trump’s White House budget director, continued to argue against predictions that their tax and budget proposals would increase annual deficits and further inflate a national debt nearing $40 trillion. Johnson asserted that Musk was misinformed and challenged the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) analysis. According to the CBO, the bill would renew the 2017 Trump tax cuts, slash spending, and trim some levies but would also render 10.9 million additional individuals uninsured and swell deficits by $2.4 trillion over a decade.
Johnson countered with long-held Republican beliefs: by reducing taxes and government spending, economic growth is incentivized, thereby reducing deficits. Notably, both annual deficits and cumulative debt rose during the administrations of Reagan, Bush, and Trump’s initial presidency, even post-major tax reductions.
Russell Vought, head of the White House Office of Budget and Management, commented on Fox News Sunday that the CBO’s calculations are based on “artificial baselines.” Vought suggested that because the 2017 tax law provided for lower rates set to expire, the CBO’s estimates assume a reversion to pre-law higher rates. Although acknowledging the CBO’s duty to assess legislation and existing statutes as written, Vought implied that additional CBO analyses could align better with GOP objectives. When pressed on whether the White House would request alternative estimates, Vought reiterated that congressional guidelines enable the CBO to publish supplementary analyses.
Meanwhile, other Republicans approached the Trump-Musk friction with discretion. “I’ve learned from my past as a professional fighter not to interfere between two fighters,” remarked Oklahoma Sen. Markwayne Mullin on CNN’s “State of the Union.” He likened the two powerhouse figures to a married couple experiencing disagreements.
“President Trump is a friend, but I don’t need to get involved. Friends can have differences,” Mullin explained. “My wife and I truly love each other but occasionally, frequently actually, we have differing opinions, yet that doesn’t detract from focusing on what benefits our family. Presently, there may be conflicts, but our focus remains sharply on the American people’s best interests.”
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