President Donald Trump, left, and House Speaker Mike Johnson are working to pass his "big, beautiful bill." (Getty Images)
Two people said Trump targeted Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., on SALT specifically. Lawler, one of just three Republicans in districts Trump lost in 2024, has been one of the most vocal proponents of a higher SALT deduction cap.
"I know your district better than you do. If you lose because of SALT, you were going to lose anyway," Trump said during his remarks, the sources told Fox News Digital.
When asked about those comments by reporters after the meeting, Lawler said, "The issue of SALT is one of the biggest issues impacting my district. It's the reason I won."
"I made very clear when I ran for office back in '22 that I would never support a tax bill that does not adequately lift the cap on SALT," Lawler said.
Meanwhile, three sources in the room said Trump also targeted Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., who has frustrated both the president and House GOP leaders in the past by bucking the party line. Trump had called Massie a "grandstander" in public comments to reporters minutes before the meeting.
Massie told reporters when asked for his response, "It would be ironic if one of you guys who stopped me, wants to report that I'm a grandstander. Because you are the ones who are performing this, standing. I would be walking."
"I don't think he wants to talk about cutting spending," Massie said of Trump.
President Donald Trump also singled out Rep. Thomas Massie. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
A White House official said Trump stressed he wanted complete unity on the bill, and "made it clear he’s losing patience with all holdout factions of the House Republican Conference, including the SALT Caucus and the House Freedom Caucus."
He also urged Republicans to debate SALT "later" while warning, "Don’t touch Medicaid except for eliminating waste, fraud, and abuse, including booting off illegal immigrants and common-sense work requirements," the White House official said.
However, lawmakers leaving the meeting appear to have taken away very different conclusions.
"He's just like, listen. I think where we're at with the bill is good, and to keep pushing for more will be difficult," Rep. Scott Fitzgerald, R-Wis., said of Trump's Medicaid comments.
House Financial Services Committee Chairman French Hill, R-Ark., similarly said, "I think he's referring to members who want to change the approach that the Energy & Commerce Committee has taken."
"He thinks they've taken a good, balanced approach to preserve the program, enhance the program, while narrowing the scope and hunting out waste, fraud, and abuse," Hill said.
Meanwhile, House Freedom Caucus Chairman Andy Harris, R-Md., told Fox News Digital, "I think the president will not mind changes that…decrease waste, fraud, and abuse in the bill."
However, it is unclear how much Trump's message moved Republicans who were skeptical of the bill previously.
Harris came out of the meeting insisting the House-wide vote should be delayed, so House Republicans could take more time to negotiate the bill.
Additionally, SALT Caucus Republicans like Lawler, as well as Reps. Nick LaLota and Andrew Garbarino of New York, indicated to reporters they would oppose the bill as currently written.
Some last-minute changes are expected to be made to the legislation before a 1 a.m. House Rules Committee meeting to advance the bill. The powerful panel acts as the final gatekeeper to most legislation before a House-wide vote.
Rep. Andy Harris said President Donald Trump will likely "not mind changes" to Medicaid. (Getty Images)
However, it is unclear now if changes will be made to SALT deduction caps or Medicaid after Trump urged Republicans to clear up both fights.
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Republicans are working to pass Trump’s policies on tax, immigration, energy, defense and the national debt all in one massive bill via the budget reconciliation process.
Budget reconciliation lowers the Senate’s threshold for passage from 60 votes to 51, thereby allowing the party in power to skirt the minority — in this case, Democrats — to pass sweeping pieces of legislation, provided they deal with the federal budget, taxation, or the national debt.
House Republicans are hoping to advance Trump’s bill through the House by the end of this week, with a goal of a final bill on the president’s desk by the Fourth of July.
Elizabeth Elkind is a politics reporter for Fox News Digital leading coverage of the House of Representatives. Previous digital bylines seen at Daily Mail and CBS News.
Follow on Twitter at @liz_elkind and send tips to elizabeth.elkind@fox.com
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/inside-trump-urgent-meeting-house-gop-pass-big-beautiful-bill