House Speaker Mike Johnson said he tried to send a long message to Elon Musk to explain and heal the relationship between the two sides. However, that message was not responded to because Mr. Musk had changed his phone number. Chairman Johnson shared the information on July 16 (local time), emphasizing that the technology billionaire seems to have some problems with his phone after a series of controversies.
According to Mr. Johnson, Elon Musk later responded through a third party and confirmed that he had changed his phone number, causing his messages to be sent "in the wrong place". I really hope the two will meet in person. We just have to heal," he said.
Previously, Mr. Johnson had met with Mr. Musk in person many times and regularly updated the drafting process of the "OBBBA" through detailed messages. He admitted that there are many factors that are straining the relationship between Elon Musk and the Republican leaders. However, he affirmed that this billionaire had known about the content of the bill for a long time, before he left the White House.
Mr. Musk has changed his attitude very quickly. He has a general grasp of what we are doing. We have discussed it for many months. I just want to focus on the mission and look forward to the future, said Mr. Johnson, affirming his desire to play the role of mediator.
Tensions began to arise in early May, when President Donald Trump urged Congress to approve the OBBBA. Elon Musk publicly opposed the bill in June, shortly after he stepped down as leader of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). He has called on Republicans to vote against OBBBA, warning that the bill would spike US public debt. Musk also personally criticized President Trump and warned OBBBA supporters that he could lose the 2026 midterm election.
The US president replied that Elon Musk is only concerned about the interests of Tesla, because the company could lose subsidies due to new regulations in the OBBBA. Trump has repeatedly hinted at the possibility of deporting Musk and asked DOGE to investigate government contracts with companies he owns.
After OBBBA was passed by Congress and signed into law by President Trump on July 4, Elon Musk announced that he would form a new party called the American Party. According to him, this party will change the two-party system in the US. However, Mr Trump immediately mocked the idea of "scraping the wheel" and warned that the emergence of a new party would only cause widespread chaos.
The tension between Elon Musk and Mr. Trump has so far shown no signs of cooling down.
