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Tech mogul Elon Musk launched a scathing public attack on President Donald Trump’s signature tax-and-spending bill Tuesday, calling it a “disgusting abomination” in a surprise social media tirade that threatens to fracture the Republican coalition ahead of a critical Senate vote.
“This massive, outrageous, pork-filled Congressional spending bill is a disgusting abomination,” Musk posted on his platform, X. “Shame on those who voted for it: you know you did wrong.”
The legislation — passed by the House and now in the Senate — would extend Trump-era tax cuts, pour $350 billion into border security, and slash subsidies for electric vehicles, posing a direct threat to Tesla, the electric automaker Musk leads.
Musk’s rebuke, which followed his recent departure from a Trump-appointed role leading the Department of Government Efficiency, marks a stark shift from his prior support of the former president. Last year, Musk reportedly spent over $250 million backing Trump’s reelection bid and GOP candidates.
Now, he’s threatening to back a political revolt:
“In November next year, we fire all politicians who betrayed the American people,” he wrote.
Though Musk previously pledged to reduce political spending, his criticism may complicate GOP efforts to rally support for the bill in the narrowly controlled Senate. With a slim 53-seat Republican majority, Senate Majority Leader John Thune has little room for defections.
The tech billionaire’s broadside immediately drew attention — and even some GOP backing.
Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) and Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) echoed Musk’s concerns about runaway spending. “We can and must do better,” Paul wrote. Lee called the bill inflationary and warned it “weaponizes government.”
However, many Republicans remain loyal to Trump.
“Elon Musk is not going to sway this chamber the way President Trump can,” said Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV).
Musk’s criticisms align with Democrats, who seized the moment.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) said, “We’re in complete agreement,” standing beside a giant poster of Musk’s post during a press conference. Democrats have been hammering the bill’s cuts to Medicaid, food stamps, and green energy investments.
The bill proposes over $4.5 trillion in tax breaks, with spending offsets that include controversial work requirementsfor safety net programs. The legislation also threatens Musk’s business empire, which benefits from federal investments in electric vehicles and space technologies via SpaceX, his aerospace company with major defense contracts.
Musk had previously called the legislation “disappointing,” but his latest comments represent a full political rupture. His past influence on Trump’s legislative decisions — including during a 2023 budget standoff — appears diminished.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt dismissed Musk’s latest comments: “The president already knows where Elon Musk stood on this bill. His post doesn’t change the president’s opinion.”
Still, the fracture between the GOP’s richest donor and its most powerful figure could ripple into the 2026 midterms, especially as Trump races to sign the bill by July 4 to claim a legislative victory.
