Politics

Elon Musk Finds Fresh Ways to Trash Trump’s Budget Bill in Brutal Spree

BIG BEAUTIFUL BACKLASH

Memes, emojis, and pointed jabs abound as the billionaire relentlessly drags the budget package.

Black and white photograph of Elon Musk
Photo Illustration by Elizabeth Brockway/The Daily Beast/Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty

Elon Musk’s meltdown over Donald Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill” shows no signs of slowing, as he finds new ways to bash the cornerstone of the president’s domestic agenda.

In a string of posts on Wednesday night, Musk endorsed a comment that said the “GOP is failing 77 million Americans” who voted for Trump in 2024, reposted cartoons and memes mocking the spending bill, and even shared a YouTube rap about the national debt.

The billionaire has been on a furious rampage against the legislation since Tuesday, when he lobbed a grenade that set off a Republican civil war by branding it a “disgusting abomination.” Musk says the bill will “massively increase the already gigantic budget deficit” and burden Americans with “crushingly unsustainable debt.”

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The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimates the legislation would add $2.4 trillion to the deficit over a decade.

In one meme Musk reposted Wednesday night, a bus labeled “Money DOGE has saved the government” is seen getting obliterated by an oncoming train tagged “Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill.”

“Exactly,” Musk wrote alongside the meme.

In another, he wrote, “Pretty much sums it up,” sharing a link to comedian Remy Munasifi’s 2011 parody song, “Raise the Debt Ceiling Rap.”

The song includes lyrics like: “Ain’t got no Medicare trust fund son, that’s just absurd. Spending every single penny that we see, son, have you heard?” and, “We’re all gonna default if we follow this road. You know I could have thought of this 14 trillion dollars ago!”

Elon Musk speaks with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump at a viewing of the launch of the sixth test flight of the SpaceX Starship rocket, in Brownsville, Texas, U.S., November 19, 2024 .
Elon Musk has been stirring the pot big time, but so far hasn't received much direct pushback from the president. Brandon Bell/Brandon Bell via REUTERS

The Tesla and SpaceX CEO also reposted a heart and American flag emoji in response to a comment from Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie, one of two House Republicans who voted against the package. Massie’s post said it was “insincere” of House Speaker Mike Johnson to “insinuate” that Musk is opposed to the bill because it didn’t benefit his companies.

Johnson had on Tuesday hit back at Musk, saying the businessman’s attacks were “terribly wrong.” Johnson said that they had spoken on the phone about how the bill’s phase-out of electric vehicle tax credits could impact Tesla.

Hours earlier, Musk had called on Americans to help him “KILL the BILL” by calling their representatives in Congress, even sharing an iconic image from the Quentin Tarantino film Kill Bill.

Senate Republicans are working to revise the bill, but internal divisions and mounting backlash will make it even harder to pass with their slim majority.

The former “first buddy” has taken a sharp turn since finishing up his stint working with the federal government on Friday as head of the cost-cutting Department of Government Efficiency. In just over four months, he bulldozed through federal agencies, alienated key staffers, but still came up hundreds of billions short on his savings pledge.

Axios reported the billionaire was “b-tthurt” about his treatment within the administration.

Despite the ongoing onslaught from Musk, and a flurry of activity on Truth Social, Trump still hasn’t directly clapped back at his wealthiest ally. Commentators have suggested a possible reason: He’s afraid of him.