Trump Scorches Reporters Over 'Lie' Immediately After Exiting Meeting with House Republicans
President Donald Trump took it to reporters on Capitol Hill, who suggested that he was not able to sell the “One Big Beautiful Bill” to enough GOP members of Congress on Tuesday to get it passed.
Republicans have a seven-member majority in the House and therefore can only lose three votes and still pass the legislation.
A reporter shouted at Trump as he was coming out of a meeting with GOP members regarding the bill, “Andy Harris … said you didn’t adequately convince enough people to vote for the bill.”
Rep. Andy Harris of Maryland is chairman of the conservative House Freedom Caucus.
The Freedom Caucus is made up of fiscal hawks who want deeper spending cuts.
“Well, why don’t we see what the vote is? I think it was a great talk,” the president answered, and then asked, “Who do you work for?”
The reporter responded, “NOTUS,” which describes itself as a nonpartisan news source, supported by Robert Allbritton’s foundation. He is the former publisher of Politico, which is a left-of-center outlet.
“I don’t even know what the hell that is,” Trump said, referring to NOTUS. “Get yourself a real job,” he added.
President Trump after meeting with @HouseGOP: “Why don’t we see how the vote is? I think it was a great talk…I think we have unbelievable unity. I think we’re going to get everything we want. I think we’re going to have a great victory.” pic.twitter.com/mHMcHm1TBz
— CSPAN (@cspan) May 20, 2025
“I think we have unbelievable unity. I think we’re going to get everything we want. And I think we’re going to have a great victory. This man has done a great job,” the president continued, pointing to House Speaker Mike Johnson. “I think this was a tremendous session.”
Johnson affirmed Trump’s assessment, saying, “It was a great meeting. The party is unified. The House Republican conference is excited. Multiple standing ovations. They love this president. The people back home love what he’s doing. It’s historic.
“And everybody understands the scope and the meaning of this. If we do not accomplish this mission, every one of you, all the American people, are going to have the highest tax increase that you’ve ever had,” the speaker added.
Trump then jumped back in, telling the reporters, “The Democrats want to raise your taxes, if this doesn’t work, if this doesn’t get the numbers that the Republicans want, and I think it does. It’s all Republican votes.”
He said if the “One Big Beautiful Bill” fails to pass, taxes will go up 68 percent, because it will mean the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 will be allowed to expire.
Trump acknowledged, “There were a couple of things that we talked about specifically, where some people felt a little bit one way or the other. Not a big deal. And I covered them.”
Wall Street Journal congressional correspondent Olivia Beavers posted on social media platform X, quoting a “senior White House official,” that Trump told the members, “1. Don’t let SALT impede this bill. Republicans can fight for SALT later on. 2. Don’t touch Medicaid except for eliminating waste, fraud, and abuse, including booting off illegal immigrants and common sense work requirements. 3. Stick together and get the bill done to deliver for the American people.”
From a SENIOR WH OFFICIAL: President Trump made direct and clear requests of the House Republican Conference:
1. Don’t let SALT impede this bill. Republicans can fight for SALT later on.
2. Don’t touch Medicaid except for eliminating waste, fraud, and abuse, including booting…— Olivia Beavers (@Olivia_Beavers) May 20, 2025
SALT stands for the state and local tax deduction that people are allowed to use to reduce their federal tax bill. It benefits residents from high-tax blue states like New York, New Jersey, and California, USA Today reported.
The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act set a limit of $10,000 for the deduction. Republican lawmakers in the so-called SALT Caucus want the cap removed. Taking the cap to $30,000 has been offered as a compromise, according to The Hill.
LALOTA also says leaving the Trump meeting that he’s a no on the bill right now
Several SALT members still pushing for more https://t.co/mVTY5ZDAja
— Laura Weiss (@LauraEWeiss16) May 20, 2025
Ryan Ellis, a conservative with the Center for a Free Economy, made the case in a recent thread on X that the SALT Caucus should take the win at $30,000, arguing it covers the entire state and local tax liability for well over 90 percent of taxpayers. Meanwhile, allowing the 2017 tax cuts to expire would mean the SALT cap would go away, but their constituents’ tax bill overall would go up.
The SALT caucus Republicans in the House really ought to take the win for them that a $30,000 SALT cap represents. It covers almost everyone’s SALT deduction in their districts. Failure to extend the TCJA would mean a massive annual tax hike on families back home. A thread. 1/n
— Ryan Ellis (@RyanLEllis) May 14, 2025
The Journal’s Olivia Beavers further posted on X, “The President also made it clear he’s losing patience with all holdout factions of the House Republican Conference, including the SALT Caucus and the House Freedom Caucus. The President is clear: he wants EVERY Republican to vote yes.”
A reporter shouted at Trump, questioning if it is true that he’s losing patience.
“That’s a lie. Who told you that?” the president asked.
“We heard from people inside the room,” the reporter answered.
Speaker Johnson jumped in saying, “Not true.”
“I never used the term,” Trump said. “In fact, it’s the opposite. I think we’re going to get it done. I’m not losing patience. We’re ahead of schedule.”
“Anybody that told you that is a liar,” he added. “Why don’t you go back to your source and tell them, they are liars — if the source even exists.”
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