Elon Musk Takes a Chainsaw to Trump's Big Beautiful Bill

Trump spent most of this week trying to corral the Senate to pass his plan to cut taxes for the rich — and pay for it by taking food and health care from the poorest Americans. He met with Senate Majority Leader John Thune, spoke with Senators Josh Hawley and Ron Johnson (who oppose the bill in its current form), and spent the morning digitally browbeating Rand Paul.

Intraparty criticism of the so-called “One Big Beautiful Bill” has been simmering ever since the House passed it a few weeks ago. The deficit hawks are upset that the bill could add $5 trillion to the national debt. The MAGA types, who hate the idea of poor people having food or health care, wish the cuts were even more aggressive. More vulnerable GOP senators are concerned about the depth of the Medicaid cuts. And yet, despite all this, the bill still forged a path — albeit a narrow and treacherous one — towards Trump’s desk sometime this summer.

That path got rockier on Tuesday, when Elon Musk — the world’s richest man and Trump’s BFF — took to X to announce his vehement opposition to the bill.

Now, it's probably wise to ignore most of the sewage that spills out of Musk’s pickled brain. His X feed is filled with half-baked conspiracy theories, ignorant pronouncements, and a steady stream of anti-trans bigotry.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt tried to brush off Musk’s comments while avoiding a bigger fight with him. But Musk’s opposition could matter a great deal. He tossed a political hand grenade into the delicate process of passing a complex and unpopular bill with a historically narrow Republican majority.

Here’s why Musk’s opposition to the “One Big Beautiful Bill” matters:

1. Musk Is Still Popular with Republicans

Elon Musk may be an international pariah. I hate him. You probably hate him. Maybe you’ve protested outside a Tesla dealership or slapped a “Fuck Elon” sticker on the Tesla you bought before Musk's heel turn.

But our opinion of Musk doesn’t matter now. Trump is trying to pass this bill through a Republican Congress, most of whom represent safe, deep-red districts. Vulnerable members in purple districts will bear the political costs of this bill, but as we saw in the House vote, they lack the sway — or the courage — to oppose Trump. The bill’s fate will be decided by right-wing members in safe seats, and Musk remains extremely popular with the Republican base.

According to a recent Economist/YouGov poll, Musk has:

• An 83% favorability rating among Trump 2024 voters

• An 80% rating among self-identified conservatives

• A 76% rating among Republicans

Musk’s opinion can shift the voters who might push Republican lawmakers to demand changes to Trump’s bill. After the election, Musk tanked a bipartisan budget deal with a single tweet. Disregarding public opinion — Republican politicians are also afraid Musk could fund a primary challenge or use his massive platform to publicly bash them.

2. Musk Gets Attention

Republicans have deflected or lied their way around most criticisms of this bill. Musk is harder to ignore. Like Trump, Musk is a master attention merchant. Everything he does drives media coverage and dominates the conversation online. He owns a social media platform and remains one of the most famous people in the world.

His ability to generate attention helped Trump win in 2016 — but it’s hurt him ever since. Every unpopular cut in the bill (shorthanded as "DOGE") got exponentially more coverage because these cuts were now associated with Elon Musk.

Within minutes of Musk’s post, news outlets sent out push alerts. Cable channels picked up the story. It became a trending topic. In this media environment, who says something often matters more than what is said — and Musk’s voice cuts through.

3. A Trusted Voice — to Some

Most voters will dismiss criticism from Democrats as more partisan noise. Negative press coverage is easily chalked up to “media bias.” Persuasion is difficult in a time of rising distrust and cynicism.

But Musk isn’t just anyone — he’s Trump’s friend and biggest supporter. That gives his criticism real weight.

You can picture the conversation with your Trump-curious uncle:
“You don’t have to believe me, the Congressional Budget Office, or those Pod Save America guys. Even Elon Musk says this bill is an abomination.”

This taps into a core political truth: the most effective messengers are trusted voices. That can mean a friend, cousin, or dentist — or a public figure you feel aligned with ideologically. Intraparty criticism from someone like Musk matters because it cuts through the usual partisan lines.

This might be nothing more than a blip. By the time you read this, Trump and Musk may have made up and issued a walk-back. But this is exactly the kind of moment Democrats — and everyone else — need to seize.

Democrats should weaponize Musk’s tweet and include it in ads. Progressive influencers should make content about it. You should share it with anyone in your life who still takes Musk seriously.

Opportunity doesn’t knock often. When it does, answer the door.