President Donald Trump’s divisive “big, beautiful bill” was already facing an uphill battle to pass the Senate and is now being opposed by a powerful new alliance: Elon Musk and Sen. Rand Paul.
Musk, who donated at least $288m to Trump’s campaign in 2024, left his role leading the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) on Friday and wasted little time in launching an astonishing broadside against the president over the bill on Tuesday.
“I’m sorry, but I just can’t stand it anymore. This massive, outrageous, pork-filled Congressional spending bill is a disgusting abomination,” the world’s richest man posted on X. “Shame on those who voted for it: you know you did wrong. You know it.”
Among those agreeing with Musk is the Kentucky Senator, who responded on social media: “I agree with Elon. We have both seen the massive waste in government spending, and we know another $5 trillion in debt is a huge mistake. We can and must do better.”
Paul subsequently responded to another post by Musk, declaring, “Congress is trying to make America bankrupt,” by commenting, “Some of us are trying to stop that.”
In return, Musk reposted two of Paul’s tweets, the first recirculating an article from Reason headlined, “It’s Rand Paul and Elon Musk vs. Donald Trump over the ‘Big Beautiful Bill’.”
The second featured a clip of the senator speaking to reporters on Capitol Hill on Tuesday and insisting: “Fiscal responsibility isn’t a campaign slogan. It’s a duty which I take very seriously.”
The Independent has reached out to Paul for further comment on his newfound alliance with Musk.
Earlier in the day, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt had been asked about the billionaire’s attack on the spending bill and answered: “The president already knows where Elon Musk stood on this bill; it doesn’t change the president’s opinion. This is one big beautiful bill and he’s sticking to it.”
Trump himself took on Paul, issuing two stinging posts on Truth Social that personally attacked the senator.
“Rand Paul has very little understanding of the BBB, especially the tremendous GROWTH that is coming. He loves voting ‘NO’ on everything, he thinks it’s good politics, but it’s not. The BBB is a big WINNER!!!” the president wrote in the first.
Swiftly following up with a sequel five minutes later, he added: “Rand votes NO on everything, but never has any practical or constructive ideas. His ideas are actually crazy (losers!). The people of Kentucky can’t stand him. This is a BIG GROWTH BILL!”
The Republican Party has only 53 votes in the Senate, which is not enough to overcome a Democratic filibuster, so plan to use a process known as budget reconciliation to pass the bill, which allows for the passage of legislation on only 51 votes if it is tied to the budget.
The bill is expected to add at least $3.8 trillion to America’s national debt over the next 10 years, with some estimates placing the total closer to $5 trillion.
Having only slipped through the House of Representatives by the narrowest of margins on May 22, it now faces a treacherous path through the upper chamber, with Republican fiscal hawks, MAGA populists, and moderates alike raising objections to different aspects of its tax and spending provisions.
