Republican lawmakers stand firm against Musk's 'Kill the Bill' assault on Trump's agenda

The Big, Beautiful Bill became the big, throbbing migraine for Congressional Republicans this week.

That’s acknowledgment to the big, disfigured brawl betwixt President Donald Trump and Elon Musk.

It started Tuesday with a hangup betwixt Congressional Republicans and Musk implicit the Big, Beautiful Bill. Musk characterized it arsenic a "disgusting abomination." He past turned connected each 215 House Republicans who voted yes connected the measure past month.

"You cognize you did wrong," declared Musk.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., tried to telephone Musk to foam the governmental flames.

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L-R: Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., and Elon Musk.  (AP)

"I called Elon past night. He didn't answer. "But I anticipation to speech to him today," said Johnson.

Surely the world’s richest antheral would person the bandwidth for the Speaker of the House.

But the hangup was lone starting.

Rather than returning the Speaker’s call, Musk returned governmental fire. Not by phone. But connected his ain connection platform.

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On X, Musk posted an iconic representation of Uma Thurman successful a yellowish jumpsuit, wielding a sword from a Quentin Tarantino movie poster.

"KILL the Bill," work Musk’s caption.

Reach retired and interaction someone? How astir scope retired and telephone your legislator oregon representative? 

Elon Musk looks connected arsenic President Donald Trump meets South African President Cyril Ramaphosa. (AP/Evan Vucci)

Musk’s power – and accelerated pivot – frightened Congressional Republicans.

"To accidental that it's a occupation oregon that it has created a bigger situation for us, is true," said House Budget Committee Chairman Jodey Arrington," R-Tex. "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."

Still, Republicans weren’t budging arsenic Musk demanded lawmakers trade a caller portion of legislation.

"Elon, look," said an exasperated Johnson. "We don't person clip for a marque caller bill."

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The Speaker added that Congressional Republicans "can't spell backmost to the drafting committee and we shouldn't."

The governmental contretemps started simmering arsenic Republicans rapidly became incensed with Musk.

"Give america immoderate productive feedback that we tin run on. I can't run connected platitudes," said Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., of Musk’s vague disapproval astir the size of the authorities and shortage spending. 

Rep. Warren Davidson, R-Ohio, is 1 of the 2 House Republicans who voted nary connected the Big, Beautiful Bill past month.

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., speaks astatine a property league with different members of House Republican enactment successful Washington, DC, United States, connected May 20, 2025. (Nathan Posner/Anadolu via Getty Images)

"Part of the extremity with Musk and conservatives similar maine that person had reservations astir the measure is marque it better," said Davidson. "The disappointing happening is this measure does turn deficits successful this Congress." 

Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., was the different House GOPer who voted nay. He says Musk learned however Congress operates the hard way.

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"Trust was misplaced. And truthful I deliberation helium has a close to beryllium upset with our leadership," said Massie.

But Democrats abruptly made unusual bedfellows with Musk. They viewed Musk’s absorption arsenic an accidental to assistance them sidetrack the legislation.

"He's not my cupful of tea, to enactment it mildly. But Republicans are already listening to him," said Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., of Musk.

But astatine slightest 1 Democrat called retired his colleagues for their inconsistency with Musk.

"We've been dumping each implicit Musk and vandalizing Teslas," said Sen. John Fetterman, D-Penn. "And present suddenly, present we mightiness beryllium much backmost into him."

This each came arsenic the Trump Administration asked Congress to spot distant astatine spending. Budget Director Russ Vought sent lawmakers a $9.4 cardinal "rescissions" request. This measurement asks that lawmakers claw backmost wealth it already allocated.

 President Donald Trump's nominee for Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought is sworn successful during the Senate Banking Committee information proceeding successful the Dirksen Senate Building connected January 22, 2025 successful Washington, DC (Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images)

"$9.4 cardinal is simply a teardrop successful the ocean," said Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C. "If we can't get this now, past God assistance america connected getting the existent shortage numbers down."

The rescissions program targeted overseas assistance and nationalist broadcasting.

"You've sent america a rescission bundle worthy $9 cardinal that goes aft Big Bird and Cookie Monster," lamented Rep. Mark Pocan, D-Wisc., astatine a proceeding with Vought.

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The Congressional Budget Office investigation of the Big, Beautiful Bill recovered that it adds $2.3 trillion to the shortage implicit a decade. But Republicans accidental those figures are wrong. The CBO besides issued an investigation – circumstantial to President Trump’s tariffs. The CBO projects a $3 trillion alteration successful deficits implicit the adjacent decennary due to the fact that of the tariffs. The CBO cannot measure the tariffs nether the One Big, Beautiful Bill – because, well, they’re not portion of the legislation. But, proponents of the One Big Beautiful Bill accidental that measure, coupled with the tariffs, decreases deficits by $500 cardinal implicit the adjacent decade.

Some Republicans judge that the CBO estimation astir the shortage is what acceptable disconnected Musk.

"I deliberation their assumptions are wrong. We person agelong complained astir it," said Johnson.

But remember, this is the CONGRESSIONAL Budget Office. And REPUBLICANS tally Congress.

"Why are you not getting the numbers that you want?" asked yours genuinely of the Speaker.

"They usage a antithetic scoring," replied Johnson.

"Would you see a rescission for the CBO successful the legislative subdivision appropriations bill?" I followed up.

"I would," answered Johnson.

But the CBO is the slightest of Johnson’s worries arsenic the conflict betwixt the president and Musk went supernova connected Thursday.

"What is the connection you request to perceive from him to marque definite you are connected the aforesaid page?" I asked Johnson of Musk – who inactive hadn’t connected.

House Speaker Mike Johnson and House Republicans celebrated passing Trump's "big, beauteous bill" connected Thursday.  (Getty Images)

"I conscionable privation to reply immoderate questions Elon has and marque definite helium afloat understands this is not a spending program," said Johnson. 

"Do you deliberation helium conscionable misperceives this?" I inquired. 

"I do," said Johnson. 

Senate Republicans who are noes connected the measure applauded Musk’s staunch absorption to the One Big, Beautiful Bill. 

"We some look to beryllium connected the aforesaid wavelength and that we're very, precise skeptical," said Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky. 

On Thursday afternoon, Musk argued that President Trump would person mislaid the White House and Democrats would power the House and Senate were it not for the $280 cardinal helium poured into the 2024 campaign.  

"He evidently played a affirmative role," said Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wisc., different nary connected the bill. "He helped walk that overmuch money. He attracted a batch of people." 

But Democrats weren’t truthful definite of Musk’s governmental rainmaking. 

"It’s conscionable crocodile tears that are being shed by Elon Musk," said Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass.

Democrats saw the breakup coming betwixt the president and Musk. 

"It's a divorcement that was predictable, if not inevitable," said Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn. 

Some Senate Republicans claimed they weren’t disquieted astir Musk torching the measure – and adjacent President Trump – connected X. They believed the president wielded an inherent vantage implicit Musk successful the eventual "Twitter" cage match.

"President Trump has the biggest level connected Earth," said Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio.

It’s excessively aboriginal to archer if Musk’s incineration of the One Big, Beautiful Bill volition hamper efforts to walk the authorities – particularly with choky ballot margins successful the House and Senate.

"It's not helpful," conceded Mike Johnson. "But I don't deliberation it's changed the trajectory successful immoderate way." 

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But Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., said Republicans basal astatine an unenviable crossroads.

"They person a prime of going against Trump oregon Musk," said Burchett.