CliffNotes
- Musk vs. Trump: Rift Opens Over ‘Disgusting’ Tax Bill
- The billionaire has publicly broke with the president over the tax and spending bill
- It comes just after Musk left his high-profile role in the Trump administration
Musk vs. Trump: Rift Opens Over ‘Disgusting’ Tax Bill
What Happened
Elon Musk has broken publicly with Donald Trump, slamming the president’s flagship tax and spending bill as a “disgusting abomination.” The legislation—dubbed the “big beautiful bill” by Trump—includes massive tax breaks, soaring defence spending, and a controversial hike in the debt ceiling. It passed the House last month and is now being debated in the Senate.
Musk, who only recently left a high-profile cost-cutting role in Trump’s administration, accused Republicans of betraying voters with a “pork-filled” budget that could balloon the deficit to $2.5 trillion. His social media posts marked a stark shift from previous support for Trump’s economic agenda.
Despite a phone call with House Speaker Mike Johnson earlier in the week, Musk went on the offensive, even calling for voters to sack politicians backing the bill. The spat comes amid growing internal Republican divisions, with fiscal hawks like Senator Rand Paul threatening to block the bill in the Senate.
What Next
The bill faces a tight deadline—Trump wants it signed into law by 4 July—but the road ahead is rocky. While party leaders insist it’s a cornerstone of the GOP platform, critics on both sides of the aisle are pushing back. Musk’s opposition, though rooted partly in personal grievances—such as the FAA rejecting his Starlink proposal—has given new ammunition to sceptics.
Democrats, meanwhile, are seizing the moment, pointing to Musk’s insider status as further proof the bill is flawed. Chuck Schumer noted “Even Elon Musk, who’s been part of the whole process, and is one of Trump’s buddies, said the bill is bad.”
Behind the scenes, Trump is trying to placate spending hawks with a $9.4bn package of proposed cuts targeting foreign aid and public broadcasters. But with Senate Republicans already split and Democrats preparing their own counter-narratives, this once-flagship policy may face a bumpy ride to the finish line.
As for Musk, despite donating over $250m to Trump’s campaign last year, his warning shots suggest that the billionaire may not fall in line with the administration going forward. The bill’s phase-out of electric vehicle tax credits could also hit Tesla, adding more personal stakes to a very public policy feud.
