President Trump once again targeted former close aide Elon Musk early Tuesday, attacking the amount of government subsidies the entrepreneur is receiving after the tech billionaire and world’s richest person renewed criticism of the president’s flagship spending bill.
“Elon may get more subsidy than any human being in history, by far,” Mr. Trump said on his Truth Social platform, “and without subsidies, Elon would probably have to close up shop and head back home to South Africa.”
The president also suggested his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) — which Musk headed before stepping down late May — could train its sights on the SpaceX founder’s business interests.
“No more Rocket launches, Satellites, or Electric Car Production, and our Country would save a FORTUNE,” Mr. Trump said. “Perhaps we should have DOGE take a good, hard, look at this? BIG MONEY TO BE SAVED!!!”
Musk, who had an acrimonious public falling out with the president over the budget bill, ramped up his criticism of the massive tax and domestic policy package Monday, suggesting he could support primary challenges against Republicans who vote for the Trump-backed bill.
“Every member of Congress who campaigned on reducing government spending and then immediately voted for the biggest debt increase in history should hang their head in shame!” the billionaire and onetime Trump ally wrote in a post on X. “And they will lose their primary next year if it is the last thing I do on this Earth.”
Musk also suggested starting “a new political party that actually cares about the people” on Monday, an idea he first floated earlier this month. He said if the bill passes, a new political party — which he calls the “America Party” — “will be formed the next day.”
Mr. Trump is hoping to seal his legacy with the “One Big Beautiful Bill,” which would extend his expiring first-term tax cuts at a cost of $4.5 trillion and beef up border security.
But Republicans eyeing 2026 midterm congressional elections are divided over the package, which would strip health care from millions of the poorest Americans and add more than $3 trillion to the country’s debt, according to estimates from numerous bipartisan groups.
As lawmakers began voting on the bill on Monday, Musk — the world’s richest person — accused Republicans of supporting “debt slavery.”
“All I’m asking is that we don’t bankrupt America,” he said on social media Tuesday. “What’s the point of a debt ceiling if we keep raising it?”
contributed to this report.
