On May 22, the GOP controlled House of Representatives finally managed to pass MAGA Republican President Donald Trump's unpopular budgetary One Big Beautiful Bill by just one vote. Holdout Republicans were enticed by late-night, last-minute provisions added to the bill that multiple MAGA Republicans now claim they knew nothing about.
The bill funds and furthers Project 2025 with cuts to programs that aid the poor and middle class coupled with tax cuts for the wealthy. Voters across the political spectrum have taken issue with the bill.
One notable critic is the GOP's largest donor during the 2024 election, South African business investor Elon Musk. Fresh off his time as head of the Trump-created Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), Musk has been speaking out about his former partner's latest pet project.
Musk shared his disdain for Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill on CBS News' Sunday Morning the weekend after it barely passed in the House, saying he was "disappointed," pointing out the bill increases the deficit, and adding it "undermines the work the DOGE team is doing."
Then on Tuesday, Musk posted on the social media platform he owns, X:
"I’m sorry, but I just can’t stand it anymore."
"This massive, outrageous, pork-filled Congressional spending bill is a disgusting abomination."
"Shame on those who voted for it: you know you did wrong. You know it."
After being asked about Musk's "disgusting abomination" post, GOP House Speaker Mike Johnson told a press gaggle:
"...with all due respect, my friend Elon is terribly wrong about the 'One Big Beautiful Bill.' We had a long conversation yesterday. He and I spoke for, I think, more than 20 minutes on the telephone [about] all the virtues of the bill, and he seemed to understand that, we had a very friendly conversation about it."
Implying Musk's concerns are only for his own profits, Johnson continued:
"Elon is missing it, OK, and it’s not personal. I know that the EV mandate is very important to him. That is going away because the government should not be subsidizing these things. It’s part of the 'Green New Deal.' And I know that has an effect on his business, and I lament that."
"We talked about the ramp-down period on that and how that should be duly considered by Congress."
Johnson added:
"But for him to come out and pan the whole bill is, to me, just very disappointing, very surprising, in light of the conversation I heavily mentioned."
Calling Musk's opinion "dangerous," the MAGA House Speaker concluded:
"I just deeply regret that he’s made this mistake."
You can watch the moment here:
People were unsurprised by the split between MAGA and Musk.
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People predicted where this partnership between Trump and Musk was ultimately headed.
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Many questioned the Trump administration's, GOP's, and MAGA's new view of Musk's genius.
As well as his qualifications to lead the agency Trump made up—DOGE—that gave Musk access to the agencies that regulate his businesses and the personal data of millions of Americans.
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But people weren't buying there was an altruistic impetus for Musk's opposition to the One Big Beautiful Bill.
The only question was whether Musk just wanted to alter his public perception to bolster his failing business interests or if he was mad some of his government handouts were getting cut.
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Johnson didn't come out of the presser unscathed...
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...nor did Donald "Taco" Trump...
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...nor Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill.
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Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill has been handed over to the Senate where changes are expected if the legislation is to stand any chance of passing.
Claiming complete ignorance, several House MAGA Republicans—like Georgia Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene and Nebraska Representative Mike Flood—are now speaking out about some of the provisions in the bill they voted for after getting hammered by their constituents.
Every two years, every seat in the House of Representatives is up for grabs—and 2026 isn't that far away.
@thekalenallen/Threads
U.S. Mint
