Musk Cuts Contact with Speaker Johnson Over “Pork-Filled” Trump-Backed Bill
House Speaker Mike Johnson revealed that he has been cut off by tech billionaire Elon Musk following a heated dispute over the Republican-backed “One Big, Beautiful Bill,” the tax-and-spending package signed into law by President Trump on July 4.
Johnson told host Miranda Devine during the latest episode of Pod Force One that he sent Musk a long message explaining the legislation, only to find out afterward that Musk had changed his number without notice.
“[Later I] realized I was sending it out into the ether somewhere and he never read it, so I look forward to meeting with him in person,” Johnson said. “We got to make that right.”
Musk has voiced anger against the bill, criticizing its impact on the federal deficit.
Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) made deficit reduction a top priority.
However, despite his objections, the bill passed through Congress and was signed into law.
Musk described the bill as “pork-filled” and a “disgusting abomination,” and even announced plans to launch a new “America Party.”
President Trump responded to Musk on Truth Social, writing, “I am saddened to watch Elon Musk go completely ‘off the rails,’ essentially becoming a TRAIN WRECK over the past five weeks.”
Meanwhile, Johnson admitted the relationship soured rapidly.
“Clearly, [Musk] got unhappy in a very short period of time. He generally knew what we were doing, and we talked about it.”
Johnson said Musk had been aware of the bill’s structure for months.
“The final product maybe didn’t meet all of his expectations in terms of what we’re doing, for example, with electric vehicles and the Biden mandates and all of that,” he added.
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“Elon is a genius. He does things I can’t even fathom, but one of his fields of expertise was not necessarily crafting legislation,” Johnson said.
The Speaker also said they are making efforts to address Musk’s concerns, particularly on spending.
“We can’t solve the problem overnight,” Johnson noted, “but we have a plan” to reduce the deficit through rescission packages and targeted reforms.
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