Elon Musk Threatens to Unseat GOP Lawmakers Who Back Trump’s Massive Spending Bill

Elon Musk, the world’s richest man and former Trump administration official, is turning up the heat on Republican lawmakers who support former President Donald Trump’s sweeping tax and budget legislation. In a barrage of posts on X (formerly Twitter), Musk vowed to back primary challengers against any GOP member who votes in favor of what he derided as a “debt slavery” bill.

Musk’s sharp rebuke came as the Senate prepared to vote on the legislation, a cornerstone of Trump’s economic agenda that includes a massive increase to the national debt ceiling. “Every member of Congress who campaigned on reducing government spending and then immediately voted for the biggest debt increase in history should hang their head in shame!” Musk posted. “And they will lose their primary next year — if it is the last thing I do on this Earth.”

The tech mogul’s latest attacks follow a short-lived attempt to mend fences with Trump, including a personal apology for incendiary remarks he made during his dramatic departure from the administration in May. Musk had briefly served as head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) during the early months of Trump’s second term, leading a now-scrapped effort to slash federal spending.

But any thaw in their relationship appears to have been short-lived. In a fiery post, Musk lambasted the bill’s $5 trillion debt ceiling increase, mocking Washington as a “one-party country – the PORKY PIG PARTY!!” and calling for the creation of a new political movement that “actually cares about the people.”

Musk didn’t stop at general criticism. He also named and shamed two Republicans from the House Freedom Caucus — Reps. Andy Harris of Maryland and Chip Roy of Texas — suggesting their support for the bill was hypocritical. “How can you call yourself the Freedom Caucus if you vote for a DEBT SLAVERY bill with the biggest debt ceiling increase in history?” he wrote, tagging both lawmakers directly.

Republicans currently hold a narrow 53-47 edge in the Senate and are expected to pass what Trump has called his “big, beautiful bill” following a marathon voting session on dozens of amendments.

But Musk’s outrage has found fuel in the numbers. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates the bill would add $3.3 trillion to the national debt over the next decade, largely by extending Trump-era tax cuts first passed in 2017. It would also strip 11.8 million Americans of Medicaid coverage by 2034 and reduce funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) by nearly $300 billion.

This revolt marks a sharp turn for Musk, who had previously been a major financial supporter of Trump and GOP candidates. In the 2024 election cycle alone, Musk poured nearly $290 million into Republican campaigns, making him by far the largest political donor of the year.

However, shortly before his departure from DOGE, Musk hinted that his days of political giving may be behind him. Speaking at the Qatar Economic Forum on May 20, he said, “I think in terms of political spending, I’m going to do a lot less in the future. I think I’ve done enough.”

Whether that promise holds remains to be seen. For now, Musk appears more energized than ever — not as a donor, but as a disruptor determined to reshape the Republican Party from the outside.