Trump says GOP was ‘one heart attack away from losing the House’
In a recent visit to Capitol Hill, President Donald Trump emphasized the importance of passing his proposed tax bill, warning that failure to do so coudl jeopardize the Republican majority in the House of Representatives during the 2026 midterm elections. Trump addressed a gathering of House Republicans, stating that they had been “one heart attack away from losing the House” before recent elections in Florida reduced Democratic representation. He mentioned the GOP holds a narrow advantage of 220-213, with only three dissenters permitted for passing legislation strictly along party lines.
He described the tax proposal as potentially the largest tax reform in U.S. history, suggesting that not passing it could lead to meaningful tax increases for many Americans. The bill has faced scrutiny from fiscally conservative members of the party who are concerned about its effects on the national deficit. Trump expressed strong support for House Speaker Mike Johnson, describing him as well-suited for leadership during this critical legislative period. The bill’s advancement represents a significant challenge for Johnson, who needs to balance differing party interests amid the broader push to achieve Trump’s tax agenda.
Trump: GOP was ‘one heart attack away from losing the House’ majority
President Donald Trump traveled to Capitol Hill on Tuesday, where he suggested that failure to pass his “big, beautiful” tax bill could cost Republicans their House of Representatives majority in the 2026 midterm elections.
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) and GOP lawmakers held a late-night vote on Sunday to advance the bill out of the Budget Committee, but fiscal hawks have voiced concerns about the bill’s impact on the national deficit ahead of a possible floor vote as early as Wednesday.
Trump briefly spoke with reporters on the Hill before delivering remarks in support of the bill to the full House Republican Conference, claiming that the GOP had been “one heart attack away from losing the House” due to earlier slimmer majorities before the Florida special House elections.
Now, with two Democratic vacancies due to the deaths of Reps. Sylvester Turner (D-TX) and Raul Grijalva (D-AZ), Republicans have a 220-213 advantage, meaning Johnson can afford to lose just three votes to pass legislation along party lines.
“We’re going to have a bill, the One Big, Beautiful Bill. I think it’s going to be the biggest bill ever passed, and we got to get it done,” he stated, noting that a few Republican maybes will “grandstand” before final votes, even if failing to extend his 2017 tax cuts would result in a tax increase on more than two-thirds of households.
“Look, the alternative is a 68% tax increase, and you can blame the Democrats for that, and one or two grandstanders,” the president said. “Or, you’ll get a massive tax increase — you’ll get a tax cut the likes of which we’ve never had before. This is bigger than any Ronald Reagan tax cut.”
Trump declared that any GOP lawmakers voting against the bill “wouldn’t be a Republican for much longer. They would be knocked out so fast.”
“I’m a cheerleader for this party, and I’m a cheerleader for the country — much more importantly for the country — but I’m a cheerleader for the party, and we’re going to go up, and I think we’re going to have a very good discussion,” he explained.
Trump’s beefed-up tax cuts marks Republicans’ first true legislative test of the president’s second term in office, but Johnson has been saddled with wrangling opposing wings of the Republican party, one which wants to see more deficit reducing measures included in the package, while the other is pushing for boosted tax benefits for their own constituencies.
And though the bill has been slow-rolled through the early months of Trump’s term, the president praised the Speaker Tuesday morning.
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“I’m his biggest fan. I love this guy,” he declared, standing shoulder to shoulder with Johnson. “I don’t think there’s anybody that’s more well-suited to be Speaker of the House, especially in a case like this.”
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