【By Guancha者 Net, Chen Sijia】With the "Big and Beautiful" tax cut and spending bill pushed by US President Trump submitted to the Senate, his conflict with billionaire Elon Musk has intensified again. According to Reuters on July 1, Trump posted on social media that day, targeting the government subsidies received by Musk's companies and proposing that the "Department of Government Efficiency" (DOGE) conduct an investigation.
Trump said on his self-created social platform "Truth Social": "Elon Musk knew long before strongly supporting my presidential campaign that I strongly opposed the 'electric vehicle mandate'. It's too absurd, it has always been the core of my campaign agenda. There is nothing wrong with electric vehicles, but they should not be forced on everyone."
He continued: "So far, Musk has received more subsidies than anyone in history. Without subsidies, he might have had to close down and return to South Africa. Our country could save a lot of money without rocket launches, satellites, or electric vehicle production. Maybe we should let DOGE investigate thoroughly and seriously? This could save a lot of money!"
In response to Trump's comments, Musk quickly replied on the social platform X: "Cut everything, right now." Musk also stated that his demand was "not to let America go bankrupt," saying, "What's the point of raising the debt ceiling if we keep increasing it?"
May 30, Trump and Musk held a press conference at the White House, China News Photos
During last year's US presidential election, Musk was a staunch supporter of Trump, and the two had a close relationship. After Trump took office, Musk became the head of the "Department of Government Efficiency," pushing for federal government reforms and layoffs. However, the "Big and Beautiful" tax cut and spending bill promoted by the Trump administration caused dissatisfaction among Musk, who called it an "enormous spending bill" that would undermine the work of the "Department of Government Efficiency" in an interview.
After Musk left the "Department of Government Efficiency" on May 30, his relationship with Trump rapidly deteriorated, sparking a "verbal battle" on social media. Trump said he was "very disappointed" with Musk and threatened to terminate Musk's government subsidies and contracts. Musk, on the other hand, severely criticized Trump's tariff policies and threatened to retire SpaceX's "Dragon" spacecraft.
The US House of Representatives has already passed the "Big and Beautiful" bill, and the Senate approved a procedural vote on the bill on June 28 local time by a two-vote margin, allowing the legislative process of the bill to continue in the Senate.
The "Big and Beautiful" bill mainly focuses on tax cuts and spending reductions, including extending the corporate and personal tax cuts enacted during Trump's first term, canceling subsidies for new energy, and increasing military spending. The House version of the bill aimed to raise the US debt ceiling by $4 trillion, while the Senate version went further, planning to raise the debt ceiling by $5 trillion.
American CBS reported that Democrats are trying to delay the bill by making numerous amendments. Republicans, on the other hand, intend to use their majority in Congress to pass the bill before the Fourth of July, American Independence Day. If the new version of the bill passes the Senate, it will need to be voted on again in the House of Representatives.
According to ABC News, the Senate vote on the "Big and Beautiful" bill, which began on June 30 local time, has lasted for 19 hours, with no clear indication of when the vote will end. Congressional officials revealed that the Senate has completed 33 votes, and there are currently three more votes in line, and it is unclear how many more votes will follow.
As Republicans continue to push forward the "Big and Beautiful" bill, Musk once again expressed his dissatisfaction with the Trump administration. On June 28, Musk posted on social media that this bill would "destroy millions of jobs in the United States and cause great strategic harm to the United States." On June 30, he posted multiple messages, saying that legislators who support the bill should feel ashamed.
Musk implied that the Republicans were the "PORKY PIG PARTY" and warned the Republicans: "If this is the last thing I do on Earth, they will lose the primary elections next year." Musk also claimed that a "new party that truly cares about the people" should be established. He declared that if the bill passes, the "American Party" will be formed the very next day.
Reuters pointed out that it is unclear how much influence Musk's statements have on the US Congress, but some Republicans are worried that the conflict between Musk and Trump may affect the performance of the Republican Party in the 2026 US midterm elections, increasing the difficulty for the Republicans to maintain their majority in Congress.
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