Elon Musk warpath against Trump's 'big, beautiful bill' rattles House GOP

Elon Musk’s tirade against President Donald Trump’s "big, beauteous bill" has forced House Republicans to scramble to respond connected Wednesday.

GOP lawmakers who had spent months praising Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) efforts are present moving to debar a warfare of words with the tech billionaire arsenic helium calls connected them to scrap months of enactment successful favour of a caller fund reconciliation bill.

"He didn’t marque it immoderate easier for the bill," Rep. Scott Fitzgerald, R-Wis., told Fox News Digital. 

He noted that the measure besides had its opponents successful the Senate, wherever astatine slightest 3 fiscal hawks are calling for deeper cuts than the caller mentation passed by the House, which rolls backmost astir $1.5 trillion successful national spending implicit 10 years. Fitzgerald questioned, however, what Musk’s endgame was.

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House Speaker Mike Johnson said helium was "surprised" by Elon Musk's disapproval of the "Big Beautiful Bill." (Associated Press)

"If it was to genuinely termination the bill, past – I get it, he’s not an elected authoritative – but you ne'er truly marque specified a bold connection without having a Plan B, and clearly, there’s nary Plan B," helium said.

House GOP lawmakers person for the astir part, however, appeared successful statement connected Musk yet having small interaction connected their actions. 

"I don’t deliberation helium carries the aforesaid benignant of gravitas that helium did," Rep. Greg Murphy, R-N.C., said.

Another House Republican told Fox News Digital, "When he’s not lasting by the president’s side, helium doesn’t person the aforesaid weight."

Congressional Republicans are moving to walk a mammoth measure advancing Trump’s priorities connected taxes, immigration, energy, defence and the nationalist indebtedness via the fund reconciliation process.

Reconciliation allows the enactment successful powerfulness to wholly sideline absorption – successful this case, Democrats – to walk a sweeping portion of fiscal authorities by lowering the Senate’s threshold for transition from 60 votes to 51.

But determination are rules and limitations for what tin beryllium included successful the fund reconciliation process. House GOP leaders accidental they volition question to codify spending cuts identified by Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) via the yearly legislature appropriations process.

That has not stopped Musk from unleashing his fury against the measure implicit the wealth it could adhd to the already $36 trillion-and-counting national debt.

"Call your Senator, Call your Congressman, Bankrupting America is NOT ok! KILL the BILL," Musk wrote connected X, among different posts.

President Donald Trump is pushing Republicans to walk his agenda (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

The Tesla laminitis made a veiled menace against lawmakers’ seats arsenic well, "In November adjacent year, we occurrence each politicians who betrayed the American people."

House GOP leaders and the White House, meanwhile, person closed ranks astir the bill.

"I privation Elon and each my friends to admit the complexity of what we've accomplished here. This bonzer portion of authorities – grounds fig of savings, grounds taxation cuts for the American radical and each the different benefits successful it," Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., told reporters successful response to Musk.

"We worked connected the measure for astir 14 months. You can't spell backmost to the drafting board, and we shouldn't. We person a large merchandise to present here."

But Musk’s comments look to person created a hard governmental concern for immoderate fiscal hawks who aired concerns astir the measure earlier yet voting for it aft GOP leaders made immoderate last-minute changes tightening Medicaid enactment requirements and greenish vigor subsidy cutbacks.

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"I privation [Musk] had been cheering from the stands earlier we had the vote, that would person helped us, but we are wherever we are," House Freedom Caucus subordinate Rep. Eric Burlison, R-Mo., who fought for much blimpish changes, told reporters.

He side-stepped a question connected whether helium was disquieted astir predetermination threats from Musk.

"I’m going to beryllium – I anticipation that Elon continues to enactment successful this combat due to the fact that I’m philosophically aligned with him, with his effort to effort to equilibrium this budget," Burlison said.

House Budget Committee Chairman Jodey Arrington, R-Texas, meanwhile, said helium believes Musk is incorrect but conceded his sentiment mattered to astatine slightest portion of the GOP base.

House Budget Committee Chairman Jodey Arrington, R-Texas, said Musk has ‘created a bigger challenge’ ((Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images))

"The situation is, he's a he's a credible guy, and he's done, a patriotic service," Arrington said, referring to DOGE. I conscionable deliberation he's conscionable incorrect astir his comments that mischaracterize the 1 big, beauteous bill."

"So to accidental that it's a occupation oregon that it has created a bigger situation for us, is true. Because he's got a large voice, he's got a large audience. And much importantly, it's a credible voice. But he's incorrect connected this issue."

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Conservative Rep. Mark Harris, R-N.C., said, "I would person preferred that helium not spell the absorption that helium went…maybe it was to promote Congress to get connected the shot with these rescissions packages that are coming."

The White House, meanwhile, has stood by the bill.

"The president already knows wherever Elon Musk stood connected this bill. It doesn't alteration the president's opinion. This is 1 big, beauteous bill, and he's sticking to it," White House property caput Karoline Leavitt said Tuesday.