As the clash between Donald Trump and his former ally, the billionaire Elon Musk, spilled into the open on Thursday, all eyes shifted to Republican lawmakers still undecided on whether to back the president’s ambitious “Big, Beautiful Bill.”
Last month, the bill scraped through the House of Representatives by a razor-thin margin—just one vote—and without a single Democratic supporter. According to nonpartisan analysts, the sweeping proposal could inflate the $36.2 trillion U.S. national debt by an eye-watering $2.4 trillion to $5 trillion, while slashing funding for Medicaid and food assistance programs. Positioned as a cornerstone of Trump’s “America First” agenda, the bill would also extend tax cuts, boost immigration enforcement, and add work requirements for those enrolled in federal safety net programs.
But Musk, in a fiery storm of posts on X, took aim at the bill’s massive price tag. He argued it would undo all of Doge’s cost-cutting efforts—including cutting government programs and shrinking the federal workforce. Musk urged conservatives to pull their backing.
He didn’t stop there. Musk hurled personal jabs at Trump, signaling support for his impeachment, and even referenced the former president’s alleged ties to Jeffrey Epstein, a known child sex offender. He also revived old quotes from House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate GOP leader John Thune, where both had criticized the ballooning federal debt—making their current support look hypocritical.
Musk’s public break with the administration has deepened divisions within the Republican Party, threatening the bill’s future in the Senate. Though Senate GOP leaders haven’t echoed Musk’s concerns outright, they’re eyeing possible changes to parts of the bill negotiated tightly in the House—changes that could jeopardize its passage.
One contentious issue back in the spotlight: the SALT deduction cap. The 2017 Trump tax law capped state and local tax deductions at $10,000 per household. House Republicans from Democratic-run states, where tax burdens are higher, fought to raise that cap to $40,000 in the new bill. But almost no Republican senators represent those blue states, and after meeting with Trump, Thune hinted that this provision probably won’t survive the Senate talks.
“We’re starting from a point where no Republican senator really cares about the SALT deduction,” Thune said bluntly. “It’s just not an issue that resonates here.”
That spells trouble for House Republicans, who can only afford to lose three votes if they want to pass anything along party lines.
Speaker Mike Johnson, who spent weeks navigating through the GOP’s internal chaos to get the bill through the House, said Wednesday he had been trying to talk with Musk. On Bloomberg TV Thursday, he described the Tesla CEO as “a good friend,” noting they had exchanged texts and hoped to speak that morning.
“I just want him to understand—what I think everyone on Capitol Hill gets—is that this is not a spending bill. It’s a budget reconciliation bill. And we are advancing the America First agenda,” Johnson emphasized.
Still, he admitted, “He seems dug in, and I really don’t know why.”
By the end of the day, Johnson told reporters the call never happened, but insisted the dispute “isn’t personal.” Musk, however, took to X to question Johnson’s commitment to cutting government spending, prompting the speaker to declare he has “always been a lifelong fiscal hawk.”
While Musk’s criticism centers on the bill’s cost, Trump countered that the billionaire is upset because the bill removes incentives for electric vehicle buyers.
The president said he was “very disappointed” in Musk’s opposition to what he called his most important legislative goal. But things escalated when Musk hit back, claiming Trump owed his 2020 win to Musk’s financial backing.
“I’m very disappointed in Elon. I helped him a lot,” Trump said. “He knew every detail of this bill—probably better than anyone—and he didn’t raise concerns until after he walked away.”
“Look, Elon and I had a great relationship. Not sure we still do,” he added.
This dramatic falling-out comes just days after Musk stepped down as head of Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency (Doge), only to immediately blast the One Big, Beautiful Bill.
Musk wasted no time firing back on X, calling Trump’s remarks “false” and saying: “This bill was never shown to me—not even once.” He followed up with personal swipes, despite having just praised Trump during a recent Oval Office appearance to mark his Doge departure.
“Without me, Trump would’ve lost, the Dems would run the House, and Republicans would be stuck with a 51-49 Senate,” Musk declared in response to a video of Trump’s comments. “Such ingratitude.”