‘Utterly insane’: Elon Musk reignites feud with Donald Trump over megabill

The billionaire has taken another shot at the President’s “big, beautiful bill”, weeks after the very public breakdown of their relationship.

Elon Musk has taken a shot at Donald Trump’s so-called “big, beautiful bill”, reigniting his feud with the US President as Senate voting stalled on the major domestic policy.

Senate members began voting overnight on a motion to proceed with debate on the revised, 940-page multi-trillion-dollar legislation. If passed, it would make Mr Trump’s 2017 tax permanent, end taxation on tips and overtime, boost border security funding and scrap green-energy tax credits passed during the Biden administration.

The megabill is expected to raise the debt ceiling by roughly $5 trillion in order to cram all the provisions in. It could be a make or break moment for the Republican Party – which has invested much of its political capital on Mr Trump’s signature domestic policy plan.

It also played a role in the public deterioration of the President’s relationship with Mr Musk, the billionaire CEO of Tesla and SpaceX who donated more than $US250 million ($382.9m) to his re-election campaign and until recently led his controversial Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

Hours before the vote began, Mr Musk, who previously labelled the megabill a “disgusting abomination”, doubled down on his criticisms in a post on X.

Elon Musk has taken another jab at Donald Trump’s ‘big, beautiful bill’. Picture: Allison Robbert/AFP

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“The latest Senate draft bill will destroy millions of jobs in America and cause immense strategic harm to our country!” Mr Musk wrote on the platform, which he owns.

“Utterly insane and destructive. It gives handouts to industries of the past while severely damaging industries of the future.”

‘BIG MISTAKE’: Trump blasts Republican

The President earlier warned Senate Republicans that refusing to support his legislation would represent the “ultimate betrayal”.

“With its passage, Americans will keep more of their hard-earned money while taking home much bigger paychecks,” Mr Trump said, according to a White House statement obtained by NewsNation.

“Failure to pass this bill would be the ultimate betrayal.”

Upon learning that one of his own – Republican Senator for North Carolina Thom Tillis – had voted against the procedural motion to begin debate, citing concerns about the fundamentals of the package, Mr Trump put him on blast.

“Looks like Senator Thom Tillis, as usual, wants to tell the Nation that’s giving them a 68% Tax Increase, as opposed to the Biggest Tax Cut in American History!,” the President wrote on his Truth Social platform, according to The New York Post.

Republicans who fail to support his bill would be guilty of ‘the ultimate betrayal’, Mr Trump said. Picture: AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta

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“America wants Reduced Taxes, including NO TAX ON TIPS, NO TAX ON OVERTIME, AND NO TAX ON SOCIAL SECURITY, Interest Deductions on Cars, Border Security, a Strong Military, and a Bill which is GREAT for our Farmers, Manufacturers and, Employment, in general.

“Thom Tillis is making a BIG MISTAKE for America, and the Wonderful People of North Carolina!”

Mr Trump, who has lobbied for House and Senate Republicans to fast-track the legislation so it lands on his desk by his self-imposed July 4 deadline, posted the heated rant shortly after Senator Tillis cast his opposing vote on the Senate floor.

The vote has not yet been certified as two other Republican senators are holding out their support.

With a 53-47 majority in the upper chamber, the GOP can only afford to lose three votes and still pass the package with a tie-breaking ballot cast by Vice President JD Vance.

A version of it passed the House by a single vote May 22. But the lower chamber will have to vote on the bill again after the Senate finalises its changes to it.

Republican Senator Thom Tillis. Picture: Stefani Reynolds/AFP

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer. Picture: AP Photo/J Scott Applewhite

At its core, the legislation would make permanent many of the tax breaks from Mr Trump’s first term that would otherwise expire by year’s end if Congress fails to act, resulting in a potential tax increase on Americans.

The bill would add new breaks, including no taxes on tips, and commit $350 billion to national security, including for Mr Trump’s mass deportation agenda.

The Senate will work through the weekend to try and pass Mr Trump’s bill by his July 4 deadline.

Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York said Republicans are rushing to finish the bill before the public fully knows what’s in it.

“There’s no good reason for Republicans to chase a silly deadline,” he added.

Originally published as ‘Utterly insane’: Elon Musk reignites feud with Donald Trump over megabill