Elon Musk and President Donald Trump’s feud over the ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ escalated on Thursday as the tech billionaire responded to the president’s criticism in a post on X. Musk claimed that without his support, Trump would have lost the 2024 election, with Democrats controlling the House and Republicans at 51-49 in the Senate. The dispute highlights growing tensions between Musk and the Trump administration over the legislation, which has already passed the House and awaits Senate action by July 4.
Trump expressed disappointment during a press briefing in the Oval Office, stating that Musk had known the bill’s details better than most in the room and had no issues with it until the EV incentives were cut. He accused Musk of suddenly objecting to the legislation, suggesting the billionaire’s stance was insincere. Musk pushed back, calling the bill ‘Big Ugly Bill’ and asserting that it was never shown to him, having been passed in the dead of night without proper scrutiny.
Key Republicans have weighed in on the controversy, with House Speaker Mike Johnson criticizing Musk for being ‘flat wrong’ about the bill. However, some Republican lawmakers, including Rep. Thomas Massie, Sen. Rand Paul, and Sen, Mike Lee, have expressed support for Musk’s concerns, aligning with his objections to the legislation. Meanwhile, Sen. John Kennedy warned that Americans are ‘quickly becoming debt slaves,’ echoing Musk’s views on the bill’s economic impact.
The dispute underscores the growing political tension over the legislation, with its outcome remaining uncertain as the Senate prepares to take up the bill before the July 4 deadline. While some Republicans have distanced themselves from Musk, others have joined him in criticizing the bill’s provisions, highlighting the deepening divide within the party over its economic implications.