Elon Musk's Denouncement of Trump's Tax Bill Sparks GOP Tensions
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Elon Musk's outspoken attacks on President Donald Trump's flagship spending package, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, has intensified Republican infighting over the legislation and its potential effects on the national debt.
Speaking with Newsweek, one political scientist said Musk could "create a wedge between the White House and Republicans on the Hill" that would "stymie Trump's legacy in the longer term."
Newsweek contacted the Republican National Committee for comment via online inquiry form outside regular office hours.
Why It Matters
In recent months, Musk has been one of Trump's closest political allies, spending about $292 million to back him and other Republicans ahead of the 2024 presidential election and heading up the newly created Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which he stepped down from at the end of May.
On May 22, the House narrowly passed Trump's budget package in a 215-214 vote, and the legislation now heads to the Senate, where a number of Republican lawmakers have already expressed reservations. As the GOP has only a 53-47 majority in the Senate, a handful of Republican rebels could block the legislation.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk, left, in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, D.C., on May 30 and President Donald Trump after landing on Air Force One at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland...
Tesla CEO Elon Musk, left, in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, D.C., on May 30 and President Donald Trump after landing on Air Force One at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on May 30. More
Kevin Dietsch/Saul Loeb/AFP/GETTY
What To Know
On Tuesday, Musk wrote on X, formerly Twitter: "I'm sorry, but I just can't stand it anymore. This massive, outrageous, pork-filled Congressional spending bill is a disgusting abomination. Shame on those who voted for it: you know you did wrong. You know it."
In a follow-up post, he added: "It will massively increase the already gigantic budget deficit to $2.5 trillion (!!!) and burden America citizens with crushingly unsustainable debt."
The billionaire tech tycoon continued his assault in the early hours of Wednesday morning, sharing a post from user @WallStreetMav that said: "We pay over $100 billion per month in interest on the national debt. $1.2 trillion per year. That is about 25 percent of all government revenue going to pay interest on the debt."
While highlighting the post, Musk wrote, "Interest payments already consume 25 percent of all government revenue."
When asked about Musk's criticism on Tuesday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said: "Look, the president already knows where Elon Musk stood on this bill. It doesn't change the president's opinion. This is one big, beautiful bill, and he's sticking to it."
Musk's comments have sparked a mixed reaction from congressional Republicans. Representative Thomas Massie of Kentucky wrote, "He's right," while sharing the tech CEO's "disgusting abomination" post.
Representative Warren Davidson of Ohio shared a post in which Musk said, "Congress is making America bankrupt."
However, Representative Darin LaHood of Illinois told CNBC, "I would disagree with Elon in the sense that he doesn't understand how the tax bill works."
Commenting on Musk's remarks, Senate Majority Leader John Thune told reporters on Tuesday, "On this particular issue, we have a difference of opinion."
Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, the Republican chair of the Delivering on Government Efficiency subcommittee, wrote on X: "Do I like the price tag of the One Big Beautiful Bill? No. But we're still stuck with Biden's CR that funds tons of foreign aid and woke garbage at home and abroad.
"Passing the OBBB is a critical step toward delivering the America First MAGA mandate voters gave us in November. I'm focused on passing the @DOGE cuts that Elon and his team helped craft and I'm grateful he launched this effort."
Republican Senator Rand Paul, who has been outspoken in his opposition to raising the national debt, wrote on X: "This bill raises the debt ceiling more than ever before in history. If Congress can't even cut $9B of DOGE cuts, we've got a serious problem."
Trump's package includes about $4.9 trillion in tax breaks and increased funding for the military and border security. It also lifts the debt ceiling, the limit on how much the federal government can borrow, by $4 trillion.
What People Are Saying
Mark Shanahan, an expert in American politics at the U.K.'s University of Surrey, told Newsweek: "Musk's bromance with Trump was never going to end well. There's simply not room at the center of politics for two such massive egos, and Trump has the significant advantage of being president. …
"But this isn't really about business. The Big Beautiful Bill is Trump's attempt to cement his legacy in his second White House term. The spurned Musk, whose 129 days with DOGE have delivered more chaos than savings, now appears intent on using his massive social media reach to undermine legislators' confidence in the bill. Trump has won the bro battle in the short term, but if Musk can create a wedge between the White House and Republicans on the Hill, he could yet stymie Trump's legacy in the longer term."
Dafydd Townley, who teaches American politics at the University of Portsmouth, told Newsweek: "Musk's criticism has given strength to Republican senators who had already expressed concerns about raising the debt ceiling, although the impact on these critics is very much open to debate.
"Trump has already launched a series of personal attacks against these individuals, including a particularly spiteful one against Paul Rand, to get them to back down, which suggests that Trump is not going to back down. This comes after a very close call in the House, which saw several Freedom Caucus members vote against the bill due to the increase in borrowing, revealing cracks in the Republican Party's conservative coalition."
What Happens Next
Given the number of Republican senators who have spoken out against it, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act may struggle to pass the Senate without significant amendment. If major alterations are made, it could then run into problems in the House, which narrowly approved the original package.
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