NBC’s Kristen Welker Grills Mike Johnson on Massive Budget Bill: Will Trump ‘Own’ the Debt?

House Speaker Mike Johnson defended President Donald Trump’s sweeping budget proposal Sunday in an interview on NBC’s Meet the Press, dismissing projections showing the legislation would add trillions to the national debt.

Moderator Kristen Welker repeatedly pressed Johnson on whether Trump would “own” any fiscal consequences of what GOP lawmakers have dubbed the “Big, Beautiful Bill.”

“If the big, beautiful bill does add to the debt, will President Trump own that?” Welker asked.

Johnson said the plan would not increase the deficit and argued it would actually encourage economic growth.

“It’s not going to add to the debt,” Johnson said. “President Trump is laser-focused on two primary things: delivering on his campaign promises and the America First agenda, which is what a record number of – you know, 77 million voters, popular votes – requested and demanded and gave us a mandate to do.”

The bill would extend the tax cuts passed during Trump’s first term, introduce new business incentives, and enact partial Medicaid block grants. Some analysts, including those from the Penn Wharton Budget Model and the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, have estimated it could add $3 to $4 trillion to the deficit over the next decade.

Welker cited those projections and asked Johnson directly, “Are you really telling the American people this will not add one penny to the debt and deficit? You can guarantee that?”

“I am telling you this is going to reduce the deficit,” Johnson replied, dismissing the estimates as based on a “static scoring” method he claimed ignored the projected growth of the economy:

A lot of these groups use what they call static scoring, and not dynamic scoring. Dynamic scoring, in layman’s terms, is reality: that we are going to spur on tremendous economic growth here. And, so, you’re going to have a higher job participation number in the economy, you’re going to have higher wages, you’re going to have more jobs to provide. And in addition to that, the president’s extraordinary policies are producing great things for the country.

“Just wait,” he said. “Everyone will see they’re going to be doing a lot better before [the 2026 midterms].”

Watch above via NBC News.

New: The Mediaite One-Sheet "Newsletter of Newsletters"
Your daily summary and analysis of what the many, many media newsletters are saying and reporting. Subscribe now!