Musk and Trump Clash Over Massive Spending Bill, Splintering GOP as AI Regulation Sparks Revolt
Billionaire’s “disgusting abomination” comment about Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill exposes deep fractures in Republican ranks
WASHINGTON, D.C. — A brutal war of words erupted this week between Elon Musk and Donald Trump after the billionaire tech mogul blasted Trump’s cornerstone legislation — the Big Beautiful Bill Act — as a “disgusting abomination.” The high-profile rebuke from Musk, who has funneled hundreds of millions into Republican causes, has cracked the surface of GOP unity and put the future of the bill in jeopardy as it heads to the Senate.
Musk posted the late-night attack Tuesday on X, his own social media platform, writing:
“This massive, outrageous, pork-filled Congressional spending bill is a disgusting abomination. Shame on those who voted for it: you know you did wrong. You know it.”
He accused Congress of driving the federal deficit to a projected $2.5 trillion, warning that American taxpayers will be left holding the bag for reckless political gamesmanship.
“In November next year, we fire all politicians who betrayed the American people,” Musk added.
The comments triggered a political firestorm, forcing Speaker of the House Mike Johnson to publicly defend the bill and reveal that he spoke with Musk directly for 20 minutes to try and calm the waters. Johnson insisted that the bill is fiscally responsible and pro-growth, despite growing pushback from across the political spectrum.
What’s in the Bill?
The Big Beautiful Bill Act passed the House by a single vote in May. It permanently extends the 2017 Trump-era tax cuts and dramatically increases spending on defense and border security. At the same time, it slashes funding for Medicaid, clean energy, and affordable housing. Analysts at the Tax Foundation say the bill could add $2.6 trillion to the federal debt over ten years. Other independent estimates put the number even higher when interest and inflation are factored in.
While Trump loyalists in the House celebrated the bill as a major win, GOP fiscal conservatives are beginning to revolt. Leading that charge is Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), who now says she regrets voting for the bill after discovering a little-known provision that bans states from creating or enforcing their own AI regulations for the next decade.
“I did not know about this section on pages 278–279,” Greene wrote. “I am adamantly OPPOSED. This is a violation of state rights. We have no idea what AI will be capable of in 10 years… This needs to be stripped out in the Senate.”
Senate Pushback Building
The AI clause has now become a focal point for Senate Republicans. Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), speaking during a separate AI oversight hearing, said she would oppose any federal ban that restricts state-level autonomy in regulating artificial intelligence.
Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) has already declared his opposition to the bill outright, calling it a fiscal disaster and a betrayal of conservative values.
If the Senate amends the bill — which now seems likely — it would have to go back to the House for another vote, where it may not survive round two.
Trump Digs In While Musk Is Sidelined
Despite the uproar, the Trump White House is standing firm. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, when asked whether the president was upset about Musk’s attack, dismissed the idea.
“The president already knows where Elon Musk stood on this bill. It doesn’t change the president’s opinion. This is one big beautiful bill and he’s sticking to it.”
Trump and Musk appeared together in the Oval Office last week in what was billed as a friendly farewell, as Musk stepped down from his token government role leading a federal workforce efficiency task force. But days later, Trump pulled Jared Isaacman, a Musk ally, from a nomination to head NASA — a clear signal that the relationship between the two may be breaking down behind the scenes.
A Party on the Edge
The infighting around the Big Beautiful Bill Act reflects broader fractures inside the Republican Party: Trump’s populist base, Musk’s tech-libertarian wing, and traditional deficit hawks are now openly clashing.
With the Senate poised to rip into the bill, the GOP is facing a strategic identity crisis heading into the midterms. Trump wants total loyalty. Musk wants economic sanity. Voters — and donors — are now watching to see which vision will prevail.
If the GOP can’t figure out how to fund its promises without tanking the economy, they may find themselves campaigning next year without their biggest donor — and with the country’s debt deeper than ever.
