Mike Johnson says he hopes Trump, Musk 'reconcile' amid ongoing feud
Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said he hopes President Donald Trump and Elon Musk "reconcile" after a furious public feud over Republicans' "one big, beautiful bill."
"I was with the president in the Oval Office yesterday afternoon as some of this was unfolding, and I can tell you, as he said in his own words, he was just, he was disappointed, and I was surprised by Elon's sudden opposition," Johnson told reporters on Friday.
"I believe in redemption. That's part of my worldview, and I think it's good for the party and the country if all that's worked out."
Then, without addressing Musk directly, Johnson appeared to chide him for attacking Trump.
"I'll tell you what, do not doubt and do not second guess and don't ever challenge the President of the United States, Donald Trump. He is the leader of the party, he's the most consequential political figure of this generation, in probably the modern era, and he's doing an excellent job for the people," Johnson said.
Asked whether he'd spoken to Musk since the tirade, Johnson said earlier Friday morning, "We exchanged texts, but I'm not going to talk about the content of it."
Johnson also said Republicans were unfazed by the criticism coming from the tech billionaire often called the richest man in the world.
"Members are not shaken at all. We are going to pass this legislation on our deadline, and we're very bullish about it," he said.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told Fox News Digital when asked about Johnson's call for unity, "President Trump is focused on making our country great again and passing the One Big Beautiful Bill."
Trump told Fox News' Bret Baier in an interview on Friday that he was not interested in speaking with Musk, nor was he worried about Musk's threat to launch a third political party.
"Elon's totally lost it," the president said.
Musk accused Republicans of not working hard enough to cut federal spending with their budget reconciliation bill, which is aimed at advancing Trump's priorities on tax cuts, immigration, energy, defense and the debt limit.
The Tesla CEO called out Trump, Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., all by name as well.
Republicans, for the most part, have closed ranks around Trump and their bill.
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Associated Press
7 minutes ago
- Associated Press
Senate Republicans search for support Trump's big bill in overnight session
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Vice President JD Vance summed up his own series of posts, simply imploring senators to 'Pass the bill.' The GOP leaders have no room to spare, with narrow majorities in both chambers. Thune can lose no more than three Republican senators, and already two — Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina, who warns people will lose access to Medicaid health care, and Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, who opposes raising the debt limit — have indicated opposition. Tillis abruptly announced over the weekend he would not seek reelection after Trump threatened to campaign against him. Attention quickly turned to key senators, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine, who have also raised concerns about health care cuts, but also a loose coalition of four conservative GOP senators pushing for even steeper reductions. 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It would impose $1.2 trillion in cuts, largely to Medicaid and food stamps, by imposing work requirements on able-bodied people, including some parents and older Americans, making sign-up eligibility more stringent and changing federal reimbursements to states. Additionally, the bill would provide a $350 billion infusion for border and national security, including for deportations, some of it paid for with new fees charged to immigrants. Democrats fighting all day and night Unable to stop the march toward passage, the Democrats as the minority party in Congress are using the tools at their disposal to delay and drag out the process. Democrats forced a full reading of the text, which took 16 hours, and they have a stream of amendments. Sen. Patty Murray of Washington, the ranking Democrat on the Appropriations Committee, raised particular concern at the start of debate late Sunday about the accounting method being used by the Republicans, which says the tax breaks from Trump's first term are now 'current policy' and the cost of extending them should not be counted toward deficits. She said that kind of 'magic math' won't fly with Americans trying to balance their own household books. ___ Associated Press writers Ali Swenson, Fatima Hussein, Michelle L. Price, Kevin Freking, Matt Brown, Seung Min Kim and Chris Megerian contributed to this report.
The Hill
8 minutes ago
- The Hill
18 GOP senators vote to raise taxes on the rich to pay for rural hospital fund
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Digital Trends
8 minutes ago
- Digital Trends
xTool's F2 Ultra: A smarter take on creative production
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The F2 Ultra isn't trying to be everything to everyone. But for creators who need precision, scalability, and a machine that fits into existing workflows without disruption, it looks like a meaningful step forward. If the U.S. Brand Launch Experience succeeds, it won't be because of fanfare or specs alone. It will be because xTool has shown it understands the pressures of creative work and is building systems that support it in practical, well-considered ways.
