[By Guancha Observer Network, Qi Qian] Musk's attack on the Republican "big and beautiful" tax reform bill has entered its second day.

Meanwhile, multiple White House officials have told US media that Musk's actions have caused dissatisfaction and frustration among US President Trump. Trump has remained silent on this issue so far, but some people are beginning to doubt how long the surface-level peace between Trump and Musk will last.

On June 4 local time, Musk posted on the X platform, calling on his over 200 million followers to pressure local congressmen to prevent the bill from being passed in Congress. He wrote, "Start calling your senators now, call your congressmen. The United States must absolutely not go bankrupt! Kill the Bill."

Screenshot of the tweet (same as below).

American Broadcasting Company (ABC) noticed that in just one day, Musk posted or retweeted more than 25 similar posts.

"The huge spending bill is driving the United States into bankruptcy! Enough," Musk urged the Senate and House members to rewrite the bill. He also played a pun, using the famous movie "Kill Bill" to refer to "Kill the Bill," attempting to "pressure" the White House and Congress from the bottom up.

According to reports by Politico and NBC News, Musk's actions have caused dissatisfaction and frustration among US President Trump. So far, Trump himself remains silent about Musk's words and actions. However, several White House insiders revealed that government officials are starting to wonder how much longer Trump can tolerate Musk.

One White House official said that Trump is considering when and how to respond to Musk's strategy. Another senior official said he was caught off guard by Musk's opposition but "not completely surprised."

According to White House aides and others who have spoken with Trump, Trump has been cautious. Even as he is intensifying efforts to influence the Senate to revise the bill, he has avoided high-profile confrontations. A White House official said that if Trump really wants to confront Musk, he is likely to do so through his self-created Truth Social platform.

"Elon's public discussion of this bill does no good for the president," said an external advisor to the White House. "But Trump and Elon have talked a lot, and I think they know each other very well."

Another advisor warned, "In Trump's world, we all know that the signs of things quickly going south are when the president starts to personalize issues, even if it's just half a sentence on Truth Social. He is the decision-maker."

According to The New York Times' analysis, this bill, which Trump calls the "big and beautiful" bill, plans to cut taxes, allocate more funds for the military and border security, and pay for part of the costs by cutting Medicaid, food assistance, education, and clean energy projects, significantly increasing the federal deficit and the number of people without basic living security.

The bill will also raise the debt ceiling by $4 trillion (approximately RMB 28.76 trillion), allowing the federal government to continue borrowing to finance its debt. Relevant institutions estimate that this will increase the US national debt by more than $3.3 trillion over the next ten years, with the proportion of federal government debt to GDP expected to rise from the current 98% to a record 125%.

On May 22 local time, the US House of Representatives narrowly passed the bill with 215 votes in favor and 214 votes against. The bill is currently under review in the Senate, with the goal of passing the revised version before July 4. Democrats are working hard to block the passage of the bill.

On June 3 local time, just four days after stepping down, Musk couldn't resist criticizing this tax reform bill, calling it "intolerable," "huge," "ridiculous," and "repulsive." According to him, the bill would greatly increase the already massive budget deficit in the United States to $2.5 trillion and threatened the upcoming November midterm elections in the United States.

White House press secretary Leavitt then responded, "The president already knows Musk's stance on this bill. But that won't change the president's view. This is a 'big and beautiful' bill, and he will stick to it." The White House declined further comment.

Trump held a farewell event for Musk at the White House on May 30. Video screenshot.

Politico believes that Musk's sudden attack on the "big and beautiful" bill via social media may be the most severe test of the relationship between Trump and Musk so far. Musk has resigned, and May 30 was his last day working as the head of the "Department of Government Efficiency" (DOGE). That day, Trump held a farewell event for Musk at the White House.

Two government officials and an advisor said that although this angered Republicans who are trying to maintain fragile support for the bill in the Senate, Musk's focus was on the bill itself rather than Trump personally, which helped keep things relatively decent. Among White House aides, it is believed that Musk felt dissatisfied mainly because the bill canceled tax incentives originally favorable to his electric vehicle company, Tesla.

The report said that as one of the largest donors to the Republican Party during the 2024 US presidential election, Musk has significant reputation, social media platforms, and financial resources. Some Republicans began to worry that Musk's strong opposition might exacerbate divisions within the party.

Although some Republicans downplayed the possibility of Musk disrupting the Senate's efforts, an advisor revealed that some Republicans quietly urged party leadership to take Musk's threats more seriously. Some Republicans were concerned that if Musk's rhetoric escalated and he issued clearer primary election threats, it might force Republicans into an awkward situation where they have to choose between Trump and Musk.

This article is an exclusive contribution by the Observer Network and cannot be reprinted without permission.

Original source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7512254206217044543/

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