Secret Mike Johnson meeting revealed as scrambling GOP pins hopes on ‘spending deluge'

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) privately told senior Republicans that he met with Elon Musk in Texas last week as the party looks to the billionaire megadonor to pour money into key races and help them hold onto a House majority.

Johnson told senior House Republicans about the Austin meeting behind closed doors Monday night, according to Politico. Republicans saw the news “as a positive sign for Musk’s spending plans,” senior political reporter Meredith Lee Hill said in a post on X.

While Johnson did not disclose where any potential cash might go, party leaders hope Musk will unleash what the outlet called a “spending deluge” to help save their House majority in November’s midterm elections.

“Johnson didn’t say in the Monday meeting whether Musk made any commitments during the meeting in Austin last Friday, which came as the speaker barnstormed Texas battleground races that will help determine House control next year,” the outlet reported Tuesday. “But Republicans in the room took it as a suggestion Musk could unleash spending on their behalf, according to the two people.”

The outlet first reported plans for the closely guarded meeting last week while Johnson was traveling through the Lone Star State to campaign in battleground districts that could help decide which party controls Congress.

Republicans hope Musk will use some of the more than $100 million he reportedly plans to spend during the midterms through his super PAC, America PAC. The tech billionaire spent roughly $290 million supporting President Donald Trump and other Republicans during the 2024 election cycle, largely through America PAC.