Senator Ron Johnson, a Republican, just announced he plans to kill Donald Trump's big beautiful bill.

[Swede]

We'll see.
This is, after all, Ron Johnson.

substack.com/@demwinsmedi...

— Jules1212💜🌎🌈☀️ (@jules1212.bsky.social) 2025-05-24T15:07:14.780Z

https://substack.com/@demwinsmedia/note/c-119807371?r=3i29dz

[Ocelot II]

1. Why? Isn't it fascist enough for him?

But Ron is the second-stupidest member of the Senate (narrowly edged out by Tuberville), so who knows where he's going...

[JohnSJ]

8. Seriously, I think you nailed it. He probably wants to get rid of Medicaid completely, remove the increase

in the SALT deduction, and get rid of more programs that help the working poor.

You can be that it isn't to remove the tax breaks for the wealthy.

He is one of the most diabolical sadists in the Senate. Not a good person at all.

Shame on Wisconsin for electing him, and for throwing out Russ Feingold many years ago.

[PatSeg]

40. I remember what a shock it was

when he beat Russ Feingold, one our best senators. So disappointing.

[Wiz Imp]

33. Yes. Like Massie in the House, his objection isn't that the tax cuts are increasing the deficit too much

It's that he thinks absolutely EVERYTHING else should be cut to reduce the deficit, while maintaining the tax cuts.

[Bayard]

2. Pishaw!

They'll tweak a few things and he'll knuckle under like the rest, while telling his constituents that, he tried.

[vapor2]

3. Call his office and tell him to defeat of this cruel and sadistic bill

[JohnSJ]

5. If someone does that, he will do just the opposite. Johnson is a very cruel person. The only reason he would

be opposing it is because it doesn't hurt enough people.

He probably want all poor not to receive any medicaid.

[Walleye]

4. Sure, they will talk tough for a while and then they'll cave in

I remember Trump’s call to the Georgia Secretary of State after the 2020 election. We heard part of it but it actually went on for an hour. Can you imagine having that in your ear, you’d say yes just to shut him up. I was reading that the recalcitrant legislator gets taken into their cloakroom and given a cell phone with Trump yelling on the other end and that’s how they get them on their side. They are all cowards

[radical noodle]

6. He's after something for himself

Wonder what it is? What's his price to vote for it?

[sop]

7. Ron Johnson thinks it doesn't hurt average Americans enough, and it doesn't benefit the wealthy enough.

I'd like to see a few Republicans come out and say they won't support the bill because it hurts average Americans too much, and benefits the wealthy far too much.

[peggysue2]

9. He won't vote for it 'in its current form'

Which means he'll be willing to cut social programs and safety nets down to nothing.

Because tax cuts for the filthy rich.

[JohnSJ]

11. Absolutely, and no one should be surprised if he suceeds.

[underpants]

14. Plus some pet projects for his state.

But hey, that’s how politics/governance usually works.

[JohnSJ]

10. Anyone who thinks this is good news is only deluding themselves. It will even make a more deplorable bill

worse.

[Snarkoleptic]

12. Ronald has to decide if fealty to trump is more important than his career as an elected official.

https://www.kff.org/interactive/medicaid-state-fact-sheets/

1,278,000 children and adults are enrolled in Wisconsin Medicaid, which will be crushed.

[Wiz Imp]

56. WRONG. His objection is the bill doesn't cut spending enough. In other words, it needs to be MORE cruel.

That kind of attitude seems to be admired by the MAGA base. And he can stick to his principles and vote against any bill that doesn't cut enough, without killing it by himself which I expect him to do. Remember, they need 4 no votes to kill it so Johnson by himself is not going to be considered a huge problem by the rest of the Republicans.

[allegorical oracle]

59. Are there many Medicaid recipients in WI? Or do they not vote? All the Ron Johnsons should

be cornered -- djt on one side versus angry, vocal voters who make sure they lose their next election.

[C_U_L8R]

13. So he's pulling a Manchin.

Seems that can be quite profitable.

[Lovie777]

15. Sure Jan.. ..

[spanone]

16. Did ronnie grow a spine?

I doubt it.

[ananda]

17. He might just be angling for something in his own self-interest.

I don't like him.

[Prairie Gates]

18. Spoiler alert: He will vote for it in the current form

[Wiz Imp]

38. Wanna Bet? No way he does.

He will NOT vote for the bill unless more government spending is cut. Guaranteed.

[hatrack]

19. Bullshit. He'll cave like they all do - always.

[Wiz Imp]

41. WRONG. He will NOT vote for the bill unless it cuts more spending.

[J_William_Ryan]

20. "He won't vote for it 'in its current form'"

Correct.

It’s naïve to believe that Republicans will save Medicare and Medicaid.

[valleyrogue]

21. It is even possible the whole thing was destined to fail,

with the House nutjobs passing it knowing the Senate would kill it in its tracks. The Senate can easily kill legislation with one person objecting, especially if that one person is from the same party as the president.

I don't think there is any way in hell these people are going to actually kill millions of people to benefit a handful of billionaires. The political fallout would be a disaster.

Granted, they are an evil bunch, but they aren't about to destroy the American medical industry with insane legislation to sharply cut Medicaid and Medicare. Those over 65 are the biggest beneficiaries of both programs, and they are also the most reliable voting bloc.

[gab13by13]

24. Totally disagree

Republicans have been trying to gut the social safety net for decades.

This is the beginning of the end for those programs.

[Wiz Imp]

42. I'm not sure you understand. Johnson wants to kill many MORE millions to benefit billionaires.

That is his objection.

[NYC Liberal]

58. Just like they would never actually kill Roe?

[Fiendish Thingy]

22. If Collins and Tillis join Johnson, that's a wrap.

Assuming Fetterman doesn’t cross the aisle.

I think they will pass a bill, but the most heinous parts will be diluted in order to get enough senators to vote yes.

[JohnSJ]

26. They will pass a bill, unfortunately I think it will even be more deplorable than the one the House did.

[Fiendish Thingy]

29. I don't

Collins and Tillis are very vulnerable in 2026, and even Josh Hawley has come out strongly against the Medicaid cuts.

There will still be some shitty stuff in the final bill, but it won’t be worse than the one the house passed- they want to keep the senate in the midterms so they can keep confirming Trump judges.

[JohnSJ]

39. I hope you are right Fiendish. The House bill as it is, is a disaster where a lot of people will get hurt, and

supposedly there were House republicans in vulnerable districts who still voted for it.

[Wiz Imp]

43. Enough with this garbage Fetterman would not vote for this bill in a million years.

Collins and Murkowski object to it for completely different reasons than Johnson and Rand Paul andd then osh Hawley is out there with his own objections.

They'll eventually come up with something that will get the 50 votes they need, but we don't know what that will look like or if the House will then pass the Senate's version.

[dalton99a]

23. All it takes is a phone call from Trump

[gab13by13]

25. Bingo.

[Eliot Rosewater]

27. Zero chance he holds to this or

Or What he actually opposes is not the cuts that will kill people.

The piece of shit in the White House and maga wanna kill all of us, do people understand that now?

When I think of how many people pushed back at me when I said that two years ago, six years ago

[Wiz Imp]

44. He absolutely will stick with this. He is demanding MORE cuts to spending and he's not backing down.

[BeyondGeography]

28. Just give him a little more cowbell on the cruelty side and he'll be fine

FRJ

[Renew Deal]

30. It probably doesn't give enough money to Russia

from his perspective

[rsdsharp]

31. Yeah, he's gonna kill it. Right up until he gets his call from Trump.

Then he’ll fall on his knees, and search for Dear Leader’s tiny little mushroom.🍄

[Wiz Imp]

45. Nope. He's demanding MORE spending cuts and he's not backing down.

But he can't kill it on his own. As long as no more than 3 people vote NO, it will pass. But there are enough people with various conflicting issues with the House bill, that there will be major changes to it before they vote on it in the Senate.

[rsdsharp]

49. When Trump tells him to jump, he'll ask "how high" on the way up.

[Wiz Imp]

53. Nope. He's not gonna back down.

He can't kill the bill on his own so he can stick to his "principles" which I'm sure he will. They can afford up to 3 NO votes and still pass it. And the reason for those NO votes don't all have to be the same. They'll eventually come up with something that gets the 50 votes they need, but Johnson won't be one of those unless significant additional spending cuts are included.

[Sogo]

32. A Republican with a spine?

....although he did leave himself an out by adding "in its current form."

[Wiz Imp]

46. It's not spine. He want's significantly MORE spending cuts

[sakabatou]

34. Words are one thing, actions are another

[JoseBalow]

35. This made me laugh out loud

Imagine anyone believing this for even a second.

[Wiz Imp]

47. Sorry. He's not gonna back down. Only he can't kill it on his own.

[JoseBalow]

51. LOL!

[Figarosmom]

36. Ssomething changed with him

I wonder if trump went too far in his threats to him and his family. He's been sounding like he absolutely hates trump now. He used to carry water for him , completely in. But lately not so much.

[Wiz Imp]

50. He effectively wants ALL government spending zeroed out. The tax cuts for billionaires are A-OK

but he's not OK with the increasing deficit.

He's actually one of the few being honest about the deficit, but his solution is to cut EVERYTHINg - SOCIAL SECURITY, MEDICARE, MEDICAID - if h had his way he'd completely get rid of all of them.

[Emile]

37. In other words, he is looking for bribes.

[cutroot]

55. Yes a big beautiful bribe

[milestogo]

48. He's moving in with Putin.

They are in love.

[senseandsensibility]

52. I heard him badmouthing the bill about a month ago on FAUX

saying it should be broken into smaller bills and that it would not pass the Senate, at least until the end of the year. That said, I'll believe it when I see it.

[Wiz Imp]

54. Completely FAKE headline.

He didn't say he was gonna kill the bill. He said he wouldn't vote for it. He can't kill it on his own. He needs 3 others to vote NO too to kill it. He will only vote for it if they include significantly more spending cuts which they may rewrite it to do, but that may jeopardize other votes. I'm sure they'll com up with something that will get the 50 votes they need, but it will be significantly different than the house version. And I'm betting the final Senate approved version will not include enough cuts to get Johnson to vote for it (but they don't need his vote).

[Hotler]

57. It will take Chip Roy level cruelty & selfishness for him to vote for it. nt