Elon Musk Vows to Campaign Against Republicans Who Back Debt-Raising Megabill
President Donald Trump has made clear that any Republican member of Congress who opposes his sprawling tax-and-spending package dubbed the 'One Big Beautiful Bill' will face his wrath. He launched a campaign to primary Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky and suggested he would do the same against Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina, before Tillis announced that he wouldn't seek reelection.
Now, however, another powerful political kingmaker has vowed to challenge any Republican who supports the bill.
'Every member of Congress who campaigned on reducing government spending and then immediately voted for the biggest debt increase in history should hang their head in shame!' tech billionaire and former close ally of Trump Elon Musk posted on X. 'And they will lose their primary next year if it is the last thing I do on this Earth.'
Musk spent more than $250 million to help elect Trump in 2024 but said in May that he had 'done enough' and was going to do 'a lot less in the future.' He added at the time, however, 'if I see a reason to do political spending in the future, I will do it.'
Musk posted his warning, among many posts on the topic, on Monday night as Senators continued to vote on a series of amendments to the megabill, which estimates say will add trillions to the national deficit and lead to cuts to Medicaid.
Reigniting a once-regretted feud with the President and Republicans that exploded after Musk left a temporary government role in the Administration in May, Musk reiterated a prior idea he'd floated of starting a new political party.
'It is obvious with the insane spending of this bill, which increases the debt ceiling by a record FIVE TRILLION DOLLARS that we live in a one-party country – the PORKY PIG PARTY!!' he posted on X. 'Time for a new political party that actually cares about the people.' In another post, he said that if the bill actually passes, the 'America Party will be formed the next day' to provide 'an alternative to the Democrat-Republican uniparty so that the people actually have a VOICE.'
When former Rep. Justin Amash, who left the Republican Party in 2019 and opted not to run for reelection in 2020 amid criticisms of Trump, asked Musk to support his friend and fellow libertarian-minded conservative Massie, whom Trump has set his sights on ousting from the House, Musk responded 'I will.'
'The establishment is working to primary him because he's a genuine fiscal conservative and opposes the Big, Bloated Scam,' Amash said of Massie.
Trump took to his own Truth Social platform Monday night to lash out at Musk, suggesting that the wealthiest man in the world, who is also the CEO of electric-car company Tesla and space-technology company SpaceX, is self-interested.
'Elon Musk knew, long before he so strongly Endorsed me for President, that I was strongly against the EV Mandate,' Trump posted, referring to policies that incentivize—though don't require—the manufacture and purchase of electric vehicles. 'It is ridiculous, and was always a major part of my campaign. Electric cars are fine, but not everyone should be forced to own one. Elon may get more subsidy than any human being in history, by far, and without subsidies, Elon would probably have to close up shop and head back home to South Africa. No more Rocket launches, Satellites, or Electric Car Production, and our Country would save a FORTUNE,' Trump added. Musk's companies are estimated to receive about $38 billion in government contracts and subsidies. 'Perhaps we should have DOGE take a good, hard, look at this?' Trump added, referencing the Department of Government Efficiency that Musk spearheaded. 'BIG MONEY TO BE SAVED!!!'
Musk previously dismissed Trump when the President made a similar claim about the former White House adviser's priorities. 'Whatever. Keep the EV/solar incentive cuts in the bill, even though no oil & gas subsidies are touched (very unfair!!),' he posted on X in early June.
Over the weekend, however, Musk posted that 'A massive strategic error is being made right now to damage solar/battery that will leave America extremely vulnerable in the future.' The bill threatens to end billions of dollars in green-energy tax credits, which some say could decimate the country's wind and solar industries.
Musk reposted on Monday a post by Tillis, the Republican Senator who announced on Sunday that he planned to retire at the end of his term and would be free from expected deference to party leaders, which backed Musk. 'Folks, @ElonMusk is 100% right, and he understands this issue better than anyone,' Tillis posted. 'We should take his warnings seriously. We can't let Communist China become the long-term winner.'
Still, Musk insisted that his main focus is the national deficit. 'All I'm asking is that we don't bankrupt America,' he posted as Senators continued to vote on amendments early Tuesday.
The White House has maintained that the bill 'actually reduces the debt burden on future generations,' claiming that it 'will unleash robust, real economic growth and restore fiscal sanity in America.'
But a new estimate from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office released on Sunday showed that the Senate version of the bill would add nearly $3.3 trillion to the deficit over a decade.
Contact us at letters@time.com.
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