Speaker Mike Johnson said Tuesday that Elon Musk is “terribly wrong” after the tech billionaire blasted the GOP megabill as a “disgusting abomination.”
“With all due respect, my friend Elon is terribly wrong about the one big, beautiful bill,” Johnson told reporters.
Johnson said he spoke over the phone with the former chief of the Department of Government Efficiency initiative for what he described as a friendly conversation of more than 20 minutes Monday about the “virtues” of the bill. “And he seemed to understand that,” Johnson added.
Johnson said he discussed with Musk the accelerated repeal of many green subsidies in the House version of the bill, something Musk has voiced opposition to in recent days.
“But for him to come out and pan the whole bill, to me, is just very disappointing — very surprising in light of the conversation I had with him yesterday,” Johnson said.
“It’s not personal,” the speaker added. “I just deeply regret that he’s made this mistake.”