Billionaire tech entrepreneur Elon Musk said on Monday he will actively work toward ensuring GOP lawmakers who vote to pass the “One Big, Beautiful Bill” despite campaigning on promises to rein in government spending will lose their primaries.
The warning from Musk, whose alliance with President Donald Trump crumbled several weeks ago after he began openly criticizing the legislation, came as Republicans worked toward getting the 900-page-plus measure passed by the end of this week through the budget reconciliation process.
“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!” Musk said in a post on X. “And they will lose their primary next year if it is the last thing I do on this Earth.”
Such a move would mark a huge turnaround for Musk, who spent more than $250 million to help Trump and other Republicans win elections last year before spearheading the current administration’s Department of Government Efficiency effort through last month with a stated mission of getting rid of waste, fraud, and abuse.
Musk also chided members of the conservative House Freedom Caucus and begrudged how the bill may phase out green energy tax credits that could impact customers of his Tesla business. He even proposed the creation of 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!! Time for a new political party that actually cares about the people,” he said, adding later, “If this insane spending bill passes, the America Party will be formed the next day. Our country needs an alternative to the Democrat-Republican uniparty so that the people actually have a VOICE.”
JULY 4 SALE: Get Six Months Of DW+ Free
Trump has similarly threatened back primary challengers against Republicans, but he did so against those who have spoken out against the “One Big, Beautiful Bill.” One of them, Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC), announced on Sunday he would not seek re-election. Another is Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY), whom Musk said he would support.
GOP leaders in the House and Senate are racing to get the legislation, which aims to fulfill many of Trump’s spending and tax-cut goals for his second term, to the president’s desk by his stated deadline of July 4. Topline items include extending the 2017 tax cuts set to expire at the end of this year, boosting funds for border security, and cutting red tape for American energy production.
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) said in a post on X the bill will be “JET FUEL” for the United States economy. “It makes the Trump tax cuts permanent, eliminates taxes on tips and overtime, provides tax relief for seniors, and slashes regulations to spur job creation and economic growth,” he said.
While the legislation did initially pass out of the House in late May, provisions in the bill have undergone a makeover, in part because the Senate parliamentarian determined they did not adhere to rules for reconciliation. As of press time, the process was ongoing as the upper chamber worked through a vote-a-rama on amendments.
Some, but not all proposed reforms, including an offering from Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) to “punish states that give Medicaid benefits to illegal aliens convicted or charged with crimes like murder or sex trafficking,” do not appear to be making it into the final product.
Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX), one of the Freedom Caucus members singled out by Musk, took a swipe at Senate Republicans for how their version of the bill is shaping up.
“We’d be in a much better spot if Republican Senators (applying for K St) showed half as much passion for tackling $37 trillion in debt and inflation as they do for preserving [Former President Joe] Biden’s green subsidies,” Roy said in a post on X.
