Musk makes a strong push to criticize the "Big Beautiful Bill", Trump is "very angry", but rarely "didn't retaliate".

As the world's richest person with a net worth of approximately $377 billion and a key Republican donor, Musk's political influence should not be underestimated.

Written by: Ye Zhen

Source: Wall Street News

Elon Musk publicly criticized the Trump administration's signature tax cut bill, a sudden break that not only exposes the increasingly tense relationship between the two most powerful figures in America but could also threaten Trump's legislative agenda.

On Wednesday local time, Elon Musk, who has just stepped down as head of the U.S. Department of Efficiency (DOGE), will escalate his attack on Trump's "Big Beautiful Tax Law" to unprecedented heights. The Tesla CEO posted a still from the movie "Kill Bill" on social media, directly urging the public to contact legislators to "veto" the bill, and warned that "bankrupting America is wrong."

Even more shocking, Musk issued a clear directive to his more than 200 million followers on the X platform: "Call your senators, call your representatives." He also retweeted a post stating that the U.S. is "quickly descending into debt slavery," and suggested drafting a new spending bill to "avoid a significant increase in the deficit" and "prevent raising the debt ceiling by $5 trillion."

This is the second consecutive day that Musk has publicly criticized the bill. On Tuesday, he described this tax cut bill as "a disgusting ugly bill" and threatened to "kick out" the Republican lawmakers who support it.

Analysis indicates that Musk, as the world's richest person with a net worth of about $377 billion and a key Republican donor, wields significant political influence. Musk's opposition could strengthen the resistance and delay the legislative progress on tax cuts and raising the debt ceiling.

Musk's shift from ally to enemy tests Trump's tolerance level—however, in the face of criticism that would usually provoke a fierce backlash, Trump has unusually maintained restraint.

Divisions within the Republican Party: Hawks Resurge, Establishment Strikes Back

Musk's public opposition has reignited the enthusiasm of fiscal hawks within the Republican Party. Congressman Thomas Massie praised Musk's stance, saying, "I think he will ultimately stand up." Congressman Andy Ogles also stated that he had a "friendly conversation" with Musk and agreed with his views.

However, more Republican lawmakers expressed private anger towards Musk. According to the media, a House Republican, who wished to remain anonymous, bluntly stated, "He's a complete joke. He has no idea what he's doing. No one really wants him here, and we can't wait to get rid of him."

Another legislator sharply pointed out Musk's conflict of interest: "Some of the things he advocates for now are for his own purposes. So I guess he is lobbying just like everyone else now." These lawmakers insinuated that part of Musk's opposition to the bill is due to the reduction of tax credits for electric vehicles that benefit Tesla.

House Speaker Mike Johnson publicly stated that Musk's views are "completely wrong" and revealed that he called Musk on Tuesday night hoping to communicate, but Musk did not answer.

Musk Publicly Opposes Adding New Variables to the "Big Beautiful Plan"

As the world's richest person with a net worth of about $377 billion and a key donor to the Republican Party, Musk's political influence cannot be ignored. His opposition could strengthen the opposing forces and delay the legislative progress of tax cuts and raising the debt ceiling. If he withdraws his financial support for the Republican Party, the party's chances of maintaining a majority in the 2026 midterm elections would be significantly impacted.

However, House Speaker Johnson still firmly believes that the tax legislation work is expected to be completed before the July 4 deadline.

The House passed the bill last month, and the Senate is now expected to make amendments. The amended bill will need to be approved by the House again before it can be sent to Trump's desk by the July 4 deadline he set.

Trump "very angry" but chooses to remain silent

In the face of Musk's unprecedented public challenge, Trump, who is known for his vengeful nature, showed surprising restraint. According to media reports citing informed sources, Trump feels confused and angry about Musk's "180-degree turnaround."

House Speaker Johnson told House Republicans in a closed-door meeting on Wednesday that Trump himself is "very angry" at Musk. Johnson stated at a press conference after the meeting that he talks to Trump "multiple times a day," and the president is "unhappy about Elon’s 180-degree turnaround."

One House Republican, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told the media bluntly: "The president can't wait to get rid of him."

However, Trump has not publicly responded to Musk's comments to this day. On Wednesday afternoon, he only retweeted a screenshot on social media — the content was Musk thanking Trump for letting him lead DOGE, but there were no comments.

The Complex Conflicts Behind Broken Relationships

According to media reports citing informed sources, the conflict between Musk and the Trump administration goes far beyond the tax bill. The real trigger was the White House withdrawing the nomination of Musk ally Jared Isaacman as NASA director.

Isaacman has a close relationship with Elon Musk's SpaceX, having participated in the company's first private orbital flight. Musk strongly supported Isaacman for the position, but the White House's rejection left him furious. Reports say Musk complained to colleagues that he donated hundreds of millions of dollars to help Trump get elected, only to see Isaacman's nomination withdrawn.

In addition, the conflict also includes the White House's rejection of Musk's proposal to have the Federal Aviation Administration rely on his Starlink satellite system, as well as Musk's proposal to continue working for Trump for 130 days as a "special government employee" being rejected.