House Speaker Mike Johnson revealed that tech billionaire Elon Musk cut off contact and changed his phone number following a heated dispute over the Republican-backed “One Big, Beautiful Bill,” a massive tax-and-spending package signed into law by President Trump on July 4, as reported by The New York Post.
Speaking on the latest episode of Pod Force One, released Wednesday, Johnson told host Miranda Devine 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.”
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The tech mogul had become increasingly vocal in late May about his dissatisfaction with the bill, criticizing its impact on the federal deficit.
Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which he helped steer, had made deficit reduction a top priority. Despite his objections, the bill passed through Congress and was signed into law.
Musk reacted by publicly denouncing the bill as “pork-filled” and a “disgusting abomination.” The following day, he announced plans to launch a new “America Party” as a centrist alternative to the existing two-party system.
President Trump responded sharply on Truth Social. “I am saddened to watch Elon Musk go completely ‘off the rails,’ essentially becoming a TRAIN WRECK over the past five weeks,” Trump posted.
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Johnson, who had previously communicated frequently with Musk, said 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.
While Johnson said he respects Musk’s intelligence and accomplishments, he acknowledged that crafting legislation may not be the entrepreneur’s strength.
“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 indicated efforts are underway 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.
New phone, who dis? Elon Musk changed his phone number and stopped returning Mike Johnson’s texts right after his bromance with President Trump went belly-up, the House speaker revealed to @mirandadevine on “Pod Force One.” Subscribe here: https://t.co/Pi0pc4sdWG pic.twitter.com/rz58zSYVRL
— New York Post (@nypost) July 16, 2025
White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles also commented on the deteriorating relationship between Musk and the Trump administration during the podcast.
“The president was very, very kind to him, and Elon had so much to offer us,” Wiles said. “It was a great thing when it was a great thing—and had a very troublesome ending.”
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