Elon SLAPS BACK at Trump in MAGA WAR
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Your ultimate authority for daily Elon Musk news.

Exploring the world's biggest ideas with your host, Will Walden. There's something new every day.

So Elon Musk has called President Trump's signature domestic policy legislation a disgusting abomination and accused Congress of making America bankrupt. That attack came just days after a farewell ceremony in the Oval Office when he had a black eye. Also, Musk and Trump praised each other and celebrated Musk's exit from his advisory role as head of the DOGE, Department of Government Efficiency.

Now, why would the billionaire who helped shape Trump's cost-cutting agenda now turn so publicly and forcefully against it? The answer sits at the intersection of political fallout, budget math, and personal interest. Now, Musk fired off a series of posts on ex-condemning the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, the president sweeping legislation that passed the House on May 22nd.

The bill aims to slash taxes, increase defense and immigration enforcement spending, and reduce funding for health care, education, and clean energy. Analysts from the Congressional Budget Office estimate that it will increase the deficit by over $1 trillion. Musk echoed those concerns, stating that the bill would massively increase the already gigantic budget deficit.

The White House and House Speaker Mike Johnson defended the bill as a necessary overhaul, with Johnson saying Musk seemed to understand the legislation after they spoke privately. But Musk's public comments told a different story. He accused lawmakers of betraying voters and vowed to support efforts to unseat them in the 2026 midterm elections.

He told his 180 million followers in November of next year, we fire all politicians who betrayed the American people.

Now, Musk has previously used his platform and financial resources to influence policy debates and election outcomes. Last year, his super PAC spent nearly $30 million supporting Republican candidates. Now, his threats to back challengers in Republican primaries have raised concerns among GOP leaders, especially since Musk made clear he plans to spend a lot less next cycle, but hasn't ruled out targeting investments.

Now, one key source of Musk's anger appears to be the bill's removal of EV subsidies and tax credits. These incentives have been essential to Tesla's market position, and their elimination would directly affect the company's bottom line.

Now, people close to the congressional negotiations said that Musk expressed frustration that Republicans, particularly fiscal conservatives, insisted on eliminating subsidies as part of cost saving measures. Now, Trump's bill not only dismantles programs that benefited Tesla, but also shift the government's financial priorities in ways that contradict Musk's longstanding public stance on innovation and environmental technology.

Although he has generally supported deregulation and tax cuts, Musk has also relied on government funding and incentives to scale his companies. Musk's criticisms this week build on earlier clashes with Trump's administration. In April, Musk publicly insulted Peter Navarro, Trump's top trade advisor, calling him a moron and dumber than a sack of bricks. That insult followed concerns over new tariffs that would affect Tesla's supply chain and component costs.

Now, according to Tesla executives, Musk initially underestimated how severely the tariffs would impact the company. Tensions between Musk and Trump have escalated as Musk moves away from his role in Washington and returns to political messaging through X. Last December, Musk derailed a bipartisan spending bill by threatening Republicans who supported it.

In March, he attempted to influence a judicial race in Wisconsin with numerous posts supporting the conservative candidate. And Republicans have struggled to maintain unity around this bill. Trump exerted pressure by summoning skeptical lawmakers to the White House and framing opposition as betrayal. Even so, several Senate Republicans have expressed dissatisfaction and are seeking changes before the bill moves forward.

Some want deeper cuts to Medicaid and other entitlements to reduce the deficit, while Trump has urged them to protect programs that are popular with his base. Now, Musk's remark have also drawn responses for Democrats. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer used Musk's ex-posts to reinforce Democratic criticisms of the bill.

At a news conference, he held up a printed copy and said, Musk is right and that Republicans should listen. The White House tried to defuse the situation. Press Secretary Carolyn Leavitt downplayed Musk's criticism, reiterating that Trump still views the bill as a success and won't change course. This is one big, beautiful bill and he's sticking to it, she said.

Musk added fuel to the fire by posting a meme that mocked the Republican billed promise spending cuts. The image featured a tiny pair of scissors and the caption, Republicans getting ready to reduce the size of government. That sarcasm mirrored his CPAC appearance in February, though, where he took the stage wielding a chainsaw and declared it would be easy to save billions of dollars.

Now, Iran's nuclear program also surfaced in this week's developments. The administration reportedly floated a proposal to let Iran continue low-level uranium enrichment while a broader deal is negotiated. This marks the first sign of a possible compromise between the U.S. and Iran under Trump after years of hostility and sanctions. Officials say the goal is to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon without sparking a collapse in diplomacy.

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Now, Trump's legislation remains stalled in the Senate right now, with Republicans divided and Democrats unified in opposition. Musk's intervention has complicated the GOP's internal negotiations. Whether or not he spends big in the next cycle, his public influence remains substantial.

He's broken ranks with Trump, and he's using his platform to challenge the president's legislative agenda at a critical time. Hey, thank you so much for listening today. I really do appreciate your support. If you could take a second and hit the subscribe or the follow button on whatever podcast platform that you're listening on right now, I'd greatly appreciate it. It helps out the show tremendously, and you'll never miss an episode. And each episode is about 10 minutes or less to get you caught up quickly.

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