SIMI VALLEY, CALIFORNIA - Here at the Reagan National Economy Forum, hosted at Ronald Reagan's Presidential Library, former House Speaker Paul Ryan appeared on my nationally-syndicated radio program and heaped praise on his successor and fellow 'accidental Speaker,' Mike Johnson of Louisiana. Noting that Johnson faces a much thinner GOP majority -- a historically tight one, in fact, Ryan could not have been more complimentary of the Louisianan. "It's really impressive," the former Republican Vice Presidential nominee said of Johnson. "He has a harder job than I did. I had a much better [majority] margin than he has. He has no margin [for error], and he was able to put this thing together and put it out. I'm really impressed with his leadership." Ryan added, "It's results. He's delivering results, with a razor-thin majority, so honestly, everyone in this country should be grateful to Mike Johnson and his leadership skills."
Here's that clip, followed by the full interview I conducted with the former Speaker, in which he responded to the familiar attack lines from Democrats against the 'big beautiful bill,' most of which they also falsely lobbed at the 2017 tax law. The Trump-signed Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) helped grow the economy, reduce unemployment, boost wages, reduce tax burdens across the board, and increased federal revenues. The critics were wrong about virtually everything, and now they're back for more. Ryan addressed these points in our conversation:
"ABSOLUTELY IMPRESSIVE": @SpeakerRyan joined the #guybensonshow today and PRAISED @MikeJohnson's performance as Speaker of the House.
— The Guy Benson Show (@GuyBensonShow) May 29, 2025
Ryan said "everybody in this country" should be grateful to Johnson for his leadership. 🎧 to the full interview 🔽:https://t.co/ggpAgZ87cD pic.twitter.com/hrk85jH7Nc
Ryan said he couldn't envision how the US economy could avoid a recession if the 2017 tax cuts expire at the end of this year, resulting in a multi-trillion-dollar tax hike across all income groups, plus businesses large and small. That's why, he predicted, Republicans will ultimately get some version of the House-passed bill approved and signed into law by President Trump this summer. No, this is not just a bill for 'millionaires and billionaires.' At all:
The One Big Beautiful Bill proposes tax cuts for all income groups, with the middle class reaping the most significant benefits.
— Stephen Moore (@StephenMoore) May 29, 2025
Meanwhile, the top 1% sees minimal change.
Time for the media to rethink its narrative on "tax cuts for the rich." pic.twitter.com/dYQ1mbUCWc
Quite a departure from the stale, debunked-by-reality talking points emanating from the Left and many of this "news" media allies. As for the supposedly mean-spirited Medicaid "cuts" in the bill (Medicaid spending still rises under the bill), this goes to the core of them. If Democrats oppose these policies, let them try to explain why, rather than misleadingly bloviating about vulnerable Americans' healthcare being ripped away by stone-hearted conservatives, or whatever:
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It’s an 80-20 issue. Make Democrats defend their opposition to common sense. https://t.co/gN7vuANmuv
— Jack Pandol (@jackpandol) May 29, 2025
Finally, while I agree with many conservatives' frustration with the pace of work in the GOP-led Congress thus far -- and find Elon Musk's parting disillusionment resonant -- I'll leave you with this important reminder about the rules and process around the relevant legislative vehicles:
. @townhallcom reported this before BBB passed/two weeks ago https://t.co/KjBmSL4K31 pic.twitter.com/JPXwZTjQrg
— Katie Pavlich (@KatiePavlich) May 29, 2025
WATCH: Fox News’ @brithume on @ElonMusk’s disappointment over funding bill: “Elon Musk has a point about the bill. It doesn't really attack spending, particularly not of the kind that DOGE notated.”
— TV News Now (@TVNewsNow) May 29, 2025
“But remember this about this bill. This is a certain type of budget bill, and… pic.twitter.com/JVa2NLThh2
In short, I don't fault Republicans for not codifying DOGE cuts in the reconciliation bill. But like many others, I'm also skeptical of the eventual follow-through.
