House Speaker Mike Johnson: Voters will ride high on Trump's 'big beautiful bill' during midterms

House Speaker Mike Johnson said Sunday that Republicans are confident President Trump’s “big, beautiful bill” will be an electoral winner in the 2026 midterm elections.

The Louisiana Republican dismissed Democrats’ warning that the bill cuts taxes for the rich by ripping health care away from working-class families, saying they are relying on “old tired talking points.”

“This is what they say every time there is Republican legislation having anything to do with taxes,” Mr. Johnson said on “Fox News Sunday.” “They are overlooking the actual facts.”

Mr Johnson said the bill will be “jet fuel” for the economy, helping small business owners, manufacturers, and farmers.

“This is a great thing for people who go to work every day,” he said. “They are going to feel that, and we are excited about the upcoming election cycle in 2026 because people will be riding an economic high.”

Mr Trump signed the massive tax and spending package on July 4. The proposal extended and built upon Mr. Trump’s first-term tax cuts for individuals and small businesses by reducing taxes on tips, overtime and social security benefits. It also increased funding for the military and border security.

Every Democrat opposed the deal. Without it, the 2017 Trump tax cuts would have expired, leading to a $4 trillion tax increase.

However, Democrats said they could not support the bill because it cut health care and food benefits for the poor to help offset the cost of providing tax breaks for the nation’s most well-heeled taxpayers.

Ken Martin, chair of the Democratic National Committee, said the proposal will strip health care away from 17 million Americans, food assistance from 5 million Americans, and millions more will lose their jobs.

The bill’s passage sets the stage for a prolonged public relations battle over the new law in the lead-up to the 2026 midterms when Democrats hope to flip control of the House.

Rep. Ro Khanna, California Democrat, described the law as a “cruel policy.”

“I just don’t think that taking away the health care with the Medicaid cuts and food assistance to give the tax breaks for the very wealthy is going to be good for working and middle-class Americans,” Mr. Khanna said on “Fox News Sunday.” “If you really wanted economic growth, you would be focused on working families, middle-class families. Instead, they have given 60% of the tax breaks to the richest Americans and they are hurting working-class Americans, and they are making tem poorer.”

Mr. Johnson brushed aside the criticism.

He highlighted how the White House Council of Economic Advisors is forecasting that the legislation will achieve 3% economic growth, create 4 million jobs, and ensure that the average American household will have $13,000 more in take-home pay.

“We are giving everybody a tax cut, and that is going to help the economy,” Mr. Johnson said. “We are super excited about what we were able to deliver.”