Elon Musk has launched an all-out attack against the Republicans’ reconciliation budget, instructing his followers to lobby their representatives to “KILL the BILL” in a social media post.
In a series of posts on X, which he owns, the former Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) leader, who announced the end of his time as a “special government employee” of the Trump administration on May 28, has ramped up his public opposition to the “big beautiful bill” touted by the president:
“Call your Senator, Call your Congressman, Bankrupting America is NOT ok! KILL the BILL,” the billionaire tech mogul wrote Wednesday.
Musk’s anger at the reconciliation bill, which narrowly passed the House of Representatives on May 22, has largely been attributed to its omission of funding cuts made by DOGE — but Republicans have also suggested that the Tesla CEO is in opposition due to the bill slashing billions of dollars in electric vehicle (EV) tax credits.
Politico explained:
The legislation terminates multiple tax credits that Tesla — as one of the largest electric vehicle manufacturers in America — currently qualifies for: a $7,500 federal tax credit for new EVs, the $4,000 credit for used EVs, and a $1,000 credit for Level 2 charger installation. The bill would also impose a $250 yearly federal registration fee for EV owners only.
If the bill is passed as currently written, Tesla’s $11.4 billion in regulatory credits would expire at the end of 2025. Those credits contributed to Tesla’s profitability in the first quarter this year.
Shortly after the bill passed the House, Musk told CBS News, “I was, like, disappointed to see the massive spending bill, frankly, which increases the budget deficit, not decrease it, and undermines the work the DOGE team is doing.”
He got more fiery on Tuesday, writing on X that the budget is a “disgusting abomination”:
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt responded to his post on the same day, telling reporters, “It doesn’t change the president’s opinion. This is one big beautiful bill and he’s sticking to it.”
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), who worked closely with President Donald Trump on the bill, also said, “With all due respect, my friend Elon is terribly wrong about the one big, beautiful bill.”
As White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller pointed out last week, DOGE cuts were not able to be included in the budget as they were made to “discretionary spending,” not “mandatory”:
In addition, Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Russ Vought announced Tuesday that Trump is sending the first round of DOGE cuts — $9.4 billion — to Congress anyway.
The reconciliation package, which Trump wants passed by July 4, is likely to face major changes in the U.S. Senate before it is voted on, Breitbart News reported.
Olivia Rondeau is a politics reporter for Breitbart News based in Washington, DC. Find her on X/Twitter and Instagram.
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