Washington D.C. – The public falling out between President Trump and Elon Musk is casting a long shadow over the White House’s legislative agenda. The “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” a cornerstone of Trump’s presidency, now faces an uncertain future in the Senate. Musk, once an ally, now vehemently opposes the bill due to its ample price tag.

The legislation is encountering significant resistance from various factions within the Republican party.Fiscal conservatives argue that it authorizes unsustainable levels of spending. Moderates, conversely, are wary of the proposed cuts to Medicaid, which are intended to offset the bill’s costly tax breaks.

Senate Opposition Mounts

Sen.ron Johnson (R-WI), a vocal critic of the bill’s spending levels, has expressed serious doubts about its prospects in the Senate. It has no chance of passing, Johnson told NPR this week, underscoring the challenges the bill faces.

It’s easy to be the parent that says, ‘we’re going to go to Disney World.’ It’s hard to be the parent that says, ‘yeah, but we can’t afford it.To get to yes,I need a commitment to return to a reasonable pre-pandemic level of spending.
Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI)

Johnson’s remarks highlight the growing concern among some Republicans about the bill’s potential impact on the national debt.

The Trump-Musk Divide: A Public Spat

The relationship between President Trump and Elon Musk, formerly a key Republican donor, has deteriorated rapidly. Their alliance crumbled on Thursday, marked by a exchange of public insults. Musk, who recently departed from his role in the governance where he was tasked with cutting federal spending, has labeled the bill an abomination that would drastically increase the national debt.

President Trump has suggested that Musk’s opposition stems from the bill’s cuts to energy tax credits, which have benefited Tesla, Musk’s electric vehicle company.Trump also speculated that Musk may be disgruntled over the rejection of his suggestion to head NASA, a position of strategic importance for SpaceX, another of Musk’s ventures.

Musk responded with a tirade on X, claiming credit for Trump’s 2024 election victory and accusing the president of associations with Jeffrey Epstein.

Without me, Trump would have lost the election, Dems would control the House and the Republicans would be 51-49 in the Senate. Such ingratitude.
Elon Musk, on X

While Musk contributed over $280 million to Trump and other Republicans during the 2024 campaign, Tesla’s profits have reportedly plummeted 71% in the first three months of the year, with a corresponding decline in consumer reputation. On Thursday alone, Tesla’s stock price reportedly dropped 14% as the feud intensified.

Damage Control and Lingering Concerns

I’m not even thinking about Elon. He’s got a problem. The poor guy’s got a problem, Trump told CNN’s Dana bash in a phone interview on Friday,downplaying the importance of the rift.

Musk, for his part, appeared to shift his focus on Friday, concentrating his social media activity on his companies. This suggests that both men recognise the potential for mutual harm from the ongoing conflict.

However, the underlying issue – the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” – remains precarious.

Economic implications and health program Cuts

The Congressional budget Office (CBO) estimates that the bill could add $2.4 trillion to annual deficits over the next decade and result in 10.9 million people losing their health insurance. This projection has fueled concerns among republican senators, including Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), whose state has a high Medicaid enrollment rate (28%).

Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) has indicated that the caucus is open to exploring cuts to another popular health program – Medicare – to reduce the bill’s overall costs.

The focus, as you know, has been on addressing waste, fraud, abuse within Medicaid and, but right now, we’re open to suggestions that people have them about other areas where there is, you know, clearly, waste, fraud and abuse that can be rooted out in any government program.
Senate Majority leader John Thune (R-SD)

When asked directly about Medicare cuts, Thune responded, I think anything we can do that’s waste, fraud and abuse are open to discussions.

House Leadership Defends the Bill

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) defended the bill against Musk’s criticisms, calling his calls to kill the bill a surprise.

I don’t argue with Elon on how to build rockets. I wish he wouldn’t argue with me about how to craft legislation, Johnson stated, emphasizing his expertise in legislative matters.

Johnson aims to pass the legislation by Independence Day, before lawmakers begin their summer recess.

Time Constraints and Looming Deadlines

Several factors are driving the urgency to pass the bill. The Treasury Department anticipates a potential default if Congress does not raise the debt ceiling by August. Additionally, tax cuts enacted in 2017 under the first Trump administration are set to expire at the end of the year, leading Republicans to warn of a 68% tax increase if the bill fails.