Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) is on a sales mission for the “big, beautiful bill” full of President Trump’s legislative priorities, defending its contents amid a wave of criticism from his party about the depth of spending cuts, significance of Medicaid changes and the rollback of green-energy tax credits.

Johnson said in multiple interviews that he sent a “long text message” to Elon Musk vouching for the bill after the billionaire tech mogul said he was disappointed with the legislation, complaining that it undermines the cost-cutting work of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), his brainchild.

The Speaker has also gone on a cable news blitz, pushing back on concerns Sens. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) and Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) are voicing about the deficit impact of the bill, tearing into

See Full Page