“Kill The Bill:” Musk Escalates Attacks on Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill,” Proposes Radical Fiscal Reform

Elon Musk is intensifying his crusade against President Donald Trump’s marquee fiscal package — the so-called “Big Beautiful Bill” — using his platform and influence to rally opposition against what he calls a reckless march toward “debt slavery.”

The SpaceX and Tesla CEO has now spent several days on X, denouncing the legislation that independent projections say would add more than $2 trillion to the U.S. deficit over the next decade.

Doubling down on his campaign, Musk this week endorsed a hypothetical constitutional amendment that would bar members of Congress from seeking re-election if the federal budget deficit exceeds 3% of Gross Domestic Product. He quoted a 2012 tweet by Trump, which said “No member of Congress should be eligible for re-election if our country’s budget is not balanced—deficits not allowed!”

The billionaire’s vocal opposition marks one of the loudest conservative pushbacks yet against the Trump-backed bill, which passed the House last month with strong Republican support. Musk has dubbed the measure the “Debt Slavery Bill,” and has urged followers to pressure lawmakers into rejecting it, calling on Republicans to scrap the proposal entirely and start from scratch.

“Call your Senator, Call your Congressman, Bankrupting America is NOT ok! KILL the BILL,” he said.

Call your Senator,
Call your Congressman,

Bankrupting America is NOT ok!

KILL the BILL

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 4, 2025

He punctuated his message by posting an image from the film Kill Bill, signaling his resolve to derail the legislation that he believes betrays fiscal responsibility. “This bill is a betrayal of the next generation,” Musk said in one post.

Despite Musk’s attacks, President Trump — known for aggressively swatting at critics, even within his own party — has not directed his ire at the tech magnate. His silence is notable given Musk’s sustained and highly public condemnation of a bill Trump has championed as key to fueling long-term economic growth.

In contrast, Trump swiftly lashed out at Senator Rand Paul, a longtime ally, after Paul criticized the bill’s cost. “He doesn’t understand the tremendous GROWTH this bill will generate,” Trump posted on Truth Social. “Very disappointed in Rand.”

Trump’s press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, attempted to downplay Musk’s influence, brushing aside the controversy.

“Look, the president already knows where Elon Musk stood on this bill,” she said.

There was no further effort from the campaign to address Musk’s proposed amendment or his ongoing posts urging a fiscal revolt.

Some Republicans have quietly speculated that Musk’s business interests may be fueling his anger, particularly as the bill includes provisions phasing out tax credits for electric vehicles — a move that affects Tesla. Reports say Musk had previously lobbied lawmakers to keep those credits intact. House Speaker Mike Johnson acknowledged that reality in earlier remarks, saying: “I know that has an effect on his business, and I lament that.”

Even so, Musk’s concerns have struck a chord among fiscal hawks. His messages have been shared widely by Republicans worried about ballooning deficits, but they have yet to trigger a break in party leadership’s support for the bill.

“The Big Beautiful Bill is a debt bomb ticking. It’s also the biggest missed opportunity conservatives have ever had to put our country back on a track of fiscal sanity. If we defeat this bill, a better one can be offered that won’t bankrupt our country,” said Rep Thomas Massie.

Musk, who recently parted ways with the Trump White House after a brief alignment on energy and space policy, has signaled he won’t back down.

“You can’t print prosperity,” he posted Wednesday. “This is a financial cliff disguised as a ‘beautiful’ bill.”