Elon Musk has caused a stir in US politics by harshly criticizing Mr Trump’s tax and spending bill, calling it an “abomination” and threatening to worsen the national debt.

As the Senate prepares to vote, Elon Musk speaks out strongly against Mr. Trump’s super tax bill. Photo: Reuters .

On June 3, on the social media platform X, which he owns, billionaire Elon Musk – CEO of Tesla and SpaceX wrote: “I’m sorry, but I can’t take it anymore. This Congressional spending bill filled with special interests is an abomination. Shame on anyone who voted for it. You know it’s wrong.”

Musk’s remarks quickly drew the attention of fiscally hardline Republican senators, who have expressed concerns about the bill’s cost. Some have vowed to demand sweeping amendments, making it difficult for the bill to pass in the Senate, according to Reuters.

The bill, dubbed the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” – often praised by Mr Trump as “big, beautiful”, passed the House of Representatives by just one vote last month.

The bill includes an extension of 2017 tax cuts and increased defense and border security spending. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) warned that the bill would increase the deficit by $3.8 trillion and push the national debt to more than $36 trillion .

The Senate, which Republicans control, is expected to revise the House version before bringing it to a vote, with the goal of completing it by July 4.

However, a group of conservative senators, including Mike Lee and Ron Johnson, have said they will not support the bill unless it includes strong deficit-cutting measures. Others, like Senator Jerry Moran, are concerned about the bill’s impact on the health care system and the disabled population, especially the Medicaid program.

Not only causing a storm in politics and social media, Musk’s criticism also raised questions about his true influence on the Republican Party, just a week after ending his role as special advisor to the administration as head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

Despite spending nearly $300 million to support the Trump campaign and Republican candidates, Musk said he would cut political spending and return to focusing on his role as Tesla CEO.

However, this unexpected U-turn is shaking the Republican Party internally. While Senate Majority Leader John Thune rejected Musk’s comments, asserting that “we have a duty to fulfill the expectations of the voters”, House Speaker Mike Johnson also said that “my friend Elon made a serious mistake”.

“The president is well aware of Elon Musk’s position and that doesn’t change his mind. This is still a beautiful and great bill,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt gently responded to the statements of the richest billionaire on the planet.

Within the Republican Party, different factions are struggling to shape the final bill. One faction wants to keep health care benefits for the poor and incentives for green energy investment, while the other wants to go deeper with spending cuts.

Senator Thom Tillis said that some incentives such as tax exemptions for tips, overtime pay and Social Security benefits – which he called “Democratic priorities” – should be considered to pave the way for a bipartisan compromise in the future.

With a 53-47 majority in the Senate, Republicans can only lose a maximum of three votes if they want to pass the bill thanks to Vice President JD Vance’s deciding vote before the July 4 deadline.