Hill GOP leaders are in full damage control as they scramble to shield their megabill from the blast radius of President Donald Trump and Elon Musk. The former president’s new enemy is attacking both Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune over the cost of the party’s sweeping domestic policy package. Thune appears to be unfazed, while Johnson is mounting a multi-front rebuttal, questioning Musk’s motives and challenging his claims about the bill’s impact on the deficit. Johnson emphasized his own history as a deficit hawk, saying, “We have to get the big, beautiful bill done.” Johnson already had to reassure hard-liners concerned about the bill’s spending in order to secure passage in the House.
Johnson’s leadership team claims Musk won’t rattle their members, with House Majority Leader Steve Scalise stating that it hasn’t moved any votes. House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, in an exclusive interview with POLITICO, said he’s not tracking Musk’s onslaught on X. “Sorry,” Emmer said, “he’s not on my phone.” However, some fiscal hard-liners — who share in Musk’s concerns about the bill but allowed it to pass the House — are avoiding immediate sides. Freedom Caucus Chair Andy Harris said he’s “right on the deficit,” while Sen. Mike Lee posted on X: “But … I really like both of them.”
Signs of a potential détente emerged late Thursday, as Trump brushed off the clash in a phone call with POLITICO and Musk seemed somewhat open to a reconciliation, although he wouldn’t commit to ‘the’ reconciliation bill. White House aides are working to broker peace. However, the Trump-Musk divide may have already alienated some of Trump’s biggest Hill boosters, with Rep. Troy Nehls calling Elon’s recent comments “Elon, you’ve lost your mind.”
Meanwhile, the focus turns to other developments, including Congress’s deadline to act on Trump’s request to claw back $9.4 billion in funding by July 18. The House is expected to vote next week to approve the request, but Senate Republicans are considering modifications. Additionally, Senate Commerce Chair Ted Cruz announced his committee would attempt to rewrite the 10-year moratorium on AI enforcement laws included in the House version of the megabill. As the political landscape remains tense, the GOP faces both internal challenges and external pressures, with the megabill at the center of the debate.