Trump's Party 'Sleepwalking' Toward Ruin, Musk Warns
President Donald Trump participates in a press conference with departing DOGE adviser Elon Musk, Friday, May 30, 2025, in the Oval Office. Official White House Photo by Molly Riley. Public domain.
On his 54th birthday, Elon Musk lit a political fuse, delivering a sharp critique of President Donald Trump's hallmark spending initiative.
Musk didn't just call the GOP-backed "Big Beautiful Bill" "utterly insane" and "political suicide," as reported by the New York Post — he went public, and he went hard.
The result? A growing rift inside the Republican Party that's putting the future of its legislative agenda in jeopardy.
What's in the Bill — And Why Musk Hates It
The legislation in question, officially dubbed the "One Big Beautiful Bill," is Trump's sprawling tax and budget plan — the centerpiece of his second-term economic vision. With promises of tax breaks, work requirements for welfare programs, and deep cuts to Medicaid, it aims to radically reshape the federal government's spending.
But for Musk, this is a blueprint for disaster.
"The latest Senate draft bill will destroy millions of jobs in America and cause immense strategic harm to our country," Musk posted on X (formerly Twitter), according to the New York Post.
He added that it "gives handouts to industries of the past while severely damaging industries of the future," according to Reuters.
Musk's warnings didn't stop there. He said, according to the New York Post, that the bill would raise the national debt ceiling by $5 trillion and put "America in the fast lane to debt slavery."
SAFE, a national energy security organization, agreed with Musk's assessment. The group warned that the bill would effectively eliminate clean energy investment by ending tax credits for wind and solar while imposing new taxes on green projects.
"Where the original Senate version was a recipe for energy stagnation, this is outright energy surrender—all but guaranteeing Chinese dominance of critical minerals, industrial supply chains, and AI development," SAFE's government affairs head Avery Ash said, according to Reuters.
Musk and Trump: From Allies to Enemies
Musk's comment wasn't just a policy critique. It was personal.
Once one of Trump's most high-profile business backers, Musk had a visible falling out with the president in spring of 2025. Insiders reportedly say it was this bill — and Musk's behind-the-scenes lobbying to change it — that blew up their relationship.
The drama escalated so quickly that Musk even endorsed Trump's impeachment and removal — before later walking it back with a public apology. But on June 28, 2025, as the Senate scrambled to pass the bill, Musk made it clear: the truce is over.
Trump Fires Back as Senate Simmers
While Musk was lighting up social media, Trump was fuming on Truth Social, calling out Republican defectors like Senator Thom Tillis (R-North Carolina), who reportedly voted against the bill and announced he would not seek reelection.
Trump said Tillis was making a "BIG MISTAKE for America" — a sign that the president sees this bill as a loyalty test as much as a legislative priority, according to the New York Post.
The Senate narrowly advanced the bill in a 51–49 procedural vote late Saturday, with just two Republicans — Tillis and Senator Rand Paul (R-Kentucky) — breaking ranks.
Paul reportedly opposed the bill for its debt expansion, while Tillis said the healthcare cuts would cost his state billions.
According to the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office, the bill would eliminate health coverage for nearly 12 million Americans and add $3.3 trillion to the national debt over the next decade.
The bill's proposed Medicaid cuts — including new work requirements and reduced state reimbursements — triggered an outcry from Democrats and rural Republicans alike.
The GOP's Green Identity Crisis
At the heart of the clash is a deeper ideological rift within the Republican Party.
Musk represents a newer, tech-forward conservatism — pro-innovation, pro-clean energy, and focused on strategic competition with China. Trump, meanwhile, is doubling down on a populist industrial revival, with expanded subsidies for coal, steel, and traditional manufacturing.
According to Musk, the GOP is sleepwalking into disaster. "Polls show that this bill is political suicide for the Republican Party," he warned, according to the New York Post.
Whether it's politics or economics driving the split, one thing is clear: this isn't just a policy dispute. It's a battle for the soul — and future — of the Republican Party.
References: Elon Musk doubles down on 'big beautiful bill' criticism, calling it 'utterly insane' and 'political suicide' | Nearly 12 million estimated to lose health coverage under Trump budget bill | Elon Musk says Senate bill would destroy jobs and harm US | Senate bill hastens end of wind, solar tax credits and imposes new tax
