Elon Musk has finally discovered what the rest of us have known for a while: the Republicans no longer care about fiscal responsibility. The One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB), passed by the US House of Representatives, endorsed by President Donald Trump, and under consideration by the US Senate, sets one final test: is there any path to fiscal sustainability other than a US sovereign debt crisis?
It was always clear to anyone paying attention that Trump’s big talk on fiscal rectitude was subject to the very same “TACO” condition as his tariff threats. While he talked tough about going after government waste, fraud, and abuse, he pledged from the beginning to exempt the very entitlement programs that offer the only realistic path to fiscal consolidation.
