Donald Trump stormed Capitol Hill on Tuesday and warned Republicans to fall in line, or get out of the way.
In a rare visit to the Capitol, the president met with House Republicans behind closed doors and pushed them hard to back his massive legislative package, known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. The bill includes sweeping reforms on taxes, spending, and border security — and Trump doesn’t want any more delays.
“There are some people who want a couple of things that maybe I don’t like or that they’re not going to get,” Trump told reporters before the meeting. “It’s not a question of holdouts. We have a tremendously unified party.”
But behind closed doors, it was anything but gentle.
“Don’t f— around with Medicaid,” Trump told GOP lawmakers, warning that proposed cuts to the program — pushed by some conservatives — would almost certainly backfire. While he didn’t cite specific events, recent town halls across the country have shown just how unpopular those cuts are with voters, with many Republicans facing sharp backlash. Trump did, however, zero in on migrants receiving Medicaid, saying that needed to stop.
“I hope congressional Republicans are listening,” Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) posted on X after hearing Trump’s stance on Medicaid.
The bill would still impose big changes to Medicaid, including requiring many adults without kids to work at least 20 hours a week to qualify, and shortening the Affordable Care Act enrollment window. Millions could lose coverage over the next decade, but Trump made clear he’s only backing cuts he sees as “common sense.”
On taxes, Trump told lawmakers to drop their fight over SALT — the deduction for state and local taxes that wealthier blue-state Republicans want to expand. “Let SALT go,” he said bluntly. He supports a plan to raise the deduction cap from $10,000 to $30,000 for households making under $400,000 — but he doesn’t want it holding up the bill.
He singled out Rep. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.), a leading voice on SALT: “I know your district better than you do. If you lose because of SALT, you were going to lose anyway.”
Trump also hit Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), a fiscal conservative who opposes the bill over its cost. “I don’t think Thomas Massie understands government,” Trump said. “I think he’s a grandstander, frankly. I think he should be voted out of office.”
The legislation would raise the nation’s debt ceiling by $4 trillion, enough to last about two and a half years. Trump doesn’t want to revisit the fight anytime soon and told Republicans bluntly: “Don’t be stupid on the debt ceiling.” He wants a four-year extension.
The meeting was part pressure campaign, part comedy show. Rep. Mark Amodei (R-Nev.) said Trump “had them all laughing for 30 minutes,” even when he dropped the f-bomb on Medicaid.
But not everyone left convinced. House Freedom Caucus Chair Andy Harris (R-Md.) said the president’s pitch hadn’t moved enough votes. “The president I don’t think convinced enough people that the bill is adequate the way it is.”
With only a few votes to spare in the House, GOP leaders are counting on Trump’s pressure to get this done. Whether his mix of threats, charm, and blunt talk will work — that’s still up in the air.
