Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., is hitting the road this week to rally support for President Donald Trump’s “big, beautiful bill,” bringing its message directly to Americans across the country.
One of his first stops was Nashville’s iconic Nashville Palace, where he spoke with employees about the legislation’s key provisions, including the elimination of taxes on tipped and overtime wages.
“We’re so glad to see y’all. We’re here to talk about the no tax on tips provision,” Johnson said in a video obtained exclusively by Fox News Digital. “At the end of the day, everybody has more money in their pockets and less money they’ve got to send to Washington.”
The footage also shows Nashville Palace general manager Cole noting that his staff were “happier.”
“Everybody’s a little more happy when they make a little more money,” Cole said.
Johnson also took time to speak directly with workers Vince and Shelby. Shelby expressed that she was “really happy to hear” about the new tax provisions.
“We think the numbers for Tennessee are pretty extraordinary,” Johnson replied, noting “there’s a lot of tipped workers in Music City.”
Bartender Vince said eliminating taxes on tips would make his life “easier,” adding that it would give him more opportunities to travel and worry less about money.
It comes as Republicans launch a nationwide tour promoting Trump’s agenda bill, even as Democrats continue to criticize it ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
Critics argue the bill disproportionately benefits wealthy Americans while imposing new work requirements on certain Medicaid recipients and federal food benefits recipients.
Johnson addressed those criticisms later at a Tennessee Republican Party event.
“That’s real money for real people,” Johnson said of the legislation. “We can never forget that every single Democrat in Congress – House and Senate – voted against these big wins for the people. We have to remind voters of that when the left misrepresents our bills.”
He accused Democrats of relying on misinformation as their only political strategy.
“Democrats voted against the prosperity and security of the American people. They voted against working families’ tax cuts. It’s that simple, and they cannot escape it.”
Trump himself called the legislation “the largest working-class tax cuts in American history” ahead of a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday. The bill passed both the House and Senate just before GOP leaders’ self-imposed Fourth of July deadline, with Trump marking the holiday with a large signing ceremony.
Despite its passage, Democratic opposition has remained strong. House and Senate Democrats have held events nationwide criticizing the bill.
“Just spoke with seniors in Martinsville about some of the fallout from Trump’s Big Ugly Bill,” Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., wrote on X. “When the impacts of this scam start, we’re all going to be stuck footing the bill with worse and more expensive health care.”
