Elon Musk has intensified his feud with Donald Trump, sharply criticizing the former president’s massive spending bill and threatening to politically retaliate against its supporters.
On Sunday, June 30, Musk — who now holds a role as a “special government employee” tasked with reducing federal expenditures — used X to slam Republican lawmakers backing the nearly 1,000-page bill currently inching through the Senate.
The legislation, a key piece of Trump’s platform, proposes major defense expansions (including a so-called “Golden Dome” missile shield), significant tax cuts, and enough pork-barrel projects to make fiscal conservatives cringe.
Projections suggest it would add $3.3 trillion to the already enormous $36.2 trillion national debt, per Reuters.
Musk posted on X:
“Anyone who campaigned on the PROMISE of REDUCING SPENDING, but continues to vote on the BIGGEST DEBT ceiling increase in HISTORY will see their face on this poster in the primary next year.”
Trump, who had just recently described Musk as a “wonderful” and “smart” guy on Fox News, fired back on Truth Social with a scathing response.
“Elon Musk knew, long before he so strongly Endorsed me for President, that I was strongly against the EV Mandate. It is ridiculous, and was always a major part of my campaign. Electric cars are fine, but not everyone should be forced to own one,” Trump wrote.
The former president then targeted Musk’s companies, alleging that the Tesla and SpaceX CEO depended heavily on government subsidies, according to Al Jazeera:
“Elon may get more subsidy than any human being in history, by far, and without subsidies, Elon would probably have to close up shop and head back home to South Africa. No more Rocket launches, Satellites, or Electric Car Production, and our Country would save a FORTUNE.”
Trump even added:
“Perhaps we should have DOGE take a good, hard, look at this? BIG MONEY TO BE SAVED!!!”
Musk shot back:
“I am literally saying CUT IT ALL. Now.”
Once political allies — with Musk even referring to Trump as his “first buddy” in the halls of government — the two have been driven apart by clashing views on spending and energy policy, placing them on opposite ends of the GOP’s current internal fight.
Meanwhile, the Senate is still debating the bill, with a 20-hour amendment window and only a slim chance of final approval.
Should it pass the Senate, it must return to the House, where it previously survived by just a single vote.
Trump is pulling out every stop to rally support for the measure among his followers.
“Republicans, the One Big Beautiful Bill, perhaps the greatest and most important of its kind in history, gives the largest Tax Cuts and Border Security ever, Jobs by the Millions, Military/Vets increases, and so much more,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “The failure to pass means a whopping 68% Tax increase, the largest in history!!!”
But Musk remains unconvinced, hinting at a larger political shakeup. As quoted by The Guardian, he declared:
“It is obvious with the insane spending of this bill, which increases the debt ceiling by a record FIVE TRILLION DOLLARS that we live in a one-party country – the PORKY PIG PARTY!! Time for a new political party that actually cares about the people.”
