Ron Johnson Clobbers Big Beautiful Bill Even After Trump Meeting: ‘Can’t Accept This Is the New Normal’

Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) was left unconvinced on President Donald Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill even after a meeting with the president himself.

Johnson joined Fox & Friends Weekend on Saturday morning following a meeting with the president and the senator receiving the latest version of the proposed budget at around one in the morning.

“I rarely disagree with you on anything Sen. Johnson. You and I are compadres on so many things all the way back to the vaccine stuff. So tell me what is holding you up on this,” Rachel Campos-Duffy told the senator at the top of the interview.

Johnson and a handful of other Republicans, including Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY), have been holdouts on Trump’s budget, arguing against raising the debt ceiling and more.

On Saturday, Johnson said he wants to see spending deficit levels move back to pre-pandemic levels, but the current bill will likely only continue adding to the country’s debt, which already sits at more than $30 trillion.

“I just can’t accept this is the new normal. So President Trump, his goal in the Senate was to make the big, beautiful bill even better. I’d like it much better. Right now, I’m not going to vote for a motion to proceed today. We just got the bill. I got my first copy about 1.23 in the morning this morning. About 300 provisions by my account. We have scores, just temporary scores, preliminary scores on less than half of that. We don’t even have the scores,” Johnson explained.

The senator warned Republicans to avoid the “Nancy Pelosi approach,” referring to the Democratic leader commenting in 2010 that a healthcare bill would need to be passed so everyone could see what is in it.

“The last thing I want Republicans doing, and I’m not accusing anybody doing this right now, the last thing is we shouldn’t take the Nancy Pelosi approach and pass this bill to find out what’s in it. We need to know exactly what’s in it,” Johnson said, encouraging more “debate” on the bill among his colleagues.

The president has said he wants the bill passed by July 4.

Charlie Hurt asked Johnson about his meeting with Trump and the “realistic option” going forward, considering the deadline in place. Kevin Corke meanwhile emphasized the deadline too, noting the budget bill contains an extension of 2017 tax cuts, something critic Rand Paul has said he’d like to see separated into its own bill.

“It’s concentrating our efforts, that’s not a bad thing. It’s a good thing. And so we’re going to work hard. I’m going to, you know, we’re here in DC. We’ll stay in DC until we, you know, get the result on this thing one way or the other. So again, we’re all dedicated to it. We all share the same goal,” the senator said.

Check out the full exchange below:

RON JOHNSON: Speaker 1: You know, my bottom line is, and you know this, both your husband and I ran as Tea Party candidates. We were $14 trillion in debt back then. Now we’re $37 trillion in debt. And, Rachel, I just can’t accept this as the new normal. So President Trump, his goal in the Senate was to make the Big Beautiful Bill even better. I’d like it much better. Right now, I’m not going to vote for a motion to proceed today. We just got the bill. I got my first copy about 1:23 in the morning, this morning. About 300 provisions by my account. We have scores, just temporary scores, preliminary scores on less than half of that. We don’t even have the scores. The last thing I want Republicans doing, and I’m not accusing anybody doing this right now, the last thing is we shouldn’t take the Nancy Pelosi approach and pass this bill to find out what’s in it. We need to know exactly what’s in it. By the way, we need to have a debate. You know, five of my colleagues wrote to our conference and said, once we get the bill, once you have the scores, let’s have a meeting or meetings where we go through provision by provision, score by score and determine what we ought to leave in. Again, do we really need that additional tax credit when we’re $37 trillion in debt? You know, let’s had that discussion. We’ve had some discussions on some of the elements but 390 provisions, 300 provisions, no. So again, we need to be thoughtful. This is a big bill, this is an important bill. There’s no need to rush it.

CHARLIE HURT: So, okay, so, and you’ve just spoken to President Trump. What is the realistic option? What is realistic timeline for how you see this going where you can get to a yes?

JOHNSON: First of all, I have no problem with people putting deadlines. We’re all humans. We all procrastinate. So this is really focusing our efforts. You know, leadership, committee chairs, Chairman Crapo, his staff, they are working overtime. I don’t think they’re even sleeping. So, again, it’s concentrating our efforts, that’s not a bad thing. It’s a good thing. And so we’re going to work hard. We’re here in DC. We’ll stay in DC until we. You know, getting the result on this thing one way or the other. So again, we’re all dedicated to it. We all share the same goal. The problem is, guys, we are cleaning up the messes of Biden and the Democrats, the war, the wars, a $1.9 trillion average deficit. This is not easy. It is hard.

KEVIN CORKE: Got to get it done either way. You don’t want taxes to go up for millions of Americans. So the hard work continues.

Watch above via Fox News.