The world’s richest man and the US president have traded insults over Donald Trump’s tax cuts and spending invoice.
Tech billionaire Elon Musk has stepped up his criticism of United States President Donald Trump’s tax cuts and spending bill and renewed his name for a brand new political occasion.
Musk’s criticism of Trump’s 940-page “Big, Beautiful Bill“, which proposes tax breaks and sweeping cuts to healthcare and meals programmes, has been met with robust criticism from the Democratic Social gathering in addition to some members of Trump’s Republican Social gathering.
In early June, Musk, a significant marketing campaign donor to Trump and a former key aide, referred to as the invoice a “disgusting abomination”, resulting in a public falling out with the Republican president.
The 2 then appeared to chill tensions, with Trump telling reporters that he wished Musk properly, whereas the latter wrote on X that he regretted having gone “too far”.
However as US Senators gathered to vote on amendments to the invoice on Monday, Musk ramped up his criticism as soon as once more, saying lawmakers who had campaigned on slicing spending however backed the invoice “ought to dangle their heads in disgrace!”
“And they’re going to lose their main subsequent 12 months whether it is the very last thing I do on this Earth,” Musk mentioned.
The Tesla and SpaceX CEO referred to as for a brand new political occasion, saying the invoice’s large spending indicated “that we reside in a one-party nation – the PORKY PIG PARTY!!”
“Time for a brand new political occasion that truly cares concerning the folks,” he wrote.
Trump’s DOGE suggestion
Trump hit again at Musk on Tuesday, stating that the Division of Authorities Effectivity (DOGE) – which Musk had beforehand led – ought to evaluation the subsidies that Musk’s corporations have acquired, to save lots of the federal authorities “BIG” cash.
“Elon might get extra subsidy than any human being in historical past, by far, and with out subsidies, Elon would most likely have to shut up store and head again dwelling to South Africa. No extra Rocket launches, Satellites, or Electrical Automotive Manufacturing, and our Nation would save a FORTUNE,” Trump mentioned in a submit on his Fact Social platform.
In response to Trump’s submit, Musk posted on his personal platform, X, saying, “I’m actually saying CUT IT ALL. Now.”
Hitting the debt ceiling is the one factor that can truly power the federal government to chop waste and fraud.
That’s why the debt ceiling laws exists!
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 1, 2025
It stays unclear how a lot sway Musk has over the US Congress or what impact his statements may need on the invoice’s passage.
However Republicans have expressed concern that his on-again, off-again feud with Trump might harm their probabilities to guard their majority within the 2026 midterm congressional elections.
Invoice Schneider, a professor of public coverage at George Mason College, advised Al Jazeera it might possible be tough for Musk to determine a viable political coalition consisting of the invoice’s opponents.
“Elon Musk is a billionaire. There are usually not sufficient billionaires to type a celebration within the US, even when they’re sad with President Trump,” Schneider advised Al Jazeera from Washington, DC.
“Now, he has points with Trump, who just isn’t a very fashionable determine. He has a variety of opponents, a variety of critics, significantly amongst ladies within the US,” he added.
“Republicans, nearly all of whom are prone to help this specific invoice, are very nervous about how a lot debt it’s creating due to the large tax cuts. Democrats are nervous concerning the risks to the protection internet. It’s sort of arduous to place these two worries, these two constituencies, collectively into one political occasion.”
