Washington (AP) – Elon Musk tested President Donald Trump’s “large, beautiful draft law” of the tax benefits and expenses as a “disgusting abomination” and tested the limits of his political influence when he aimed at the heart of the legal agenda of the Republicans.
The broad side that Musk published on his social media platform X came just a few days after the president had given him a grave Oval Office party who marked the end of his work for the administration, where he led the government’s efficiency.
“I’m sorry, but I just can’t stand it anymore,” Musk wrote to X. “This massive, outrageous congress expenses filled with pork is a disgusting abomination. Shame about those who have voted: You know that you have done it wrong. You know it.”
The legislation that the house has passed and is currently debating the Senate would restrict subsidies that will benefit Tesla, Musk’s electric car manufacturer.
The Tech billionaire pursued his criticism with a threat that was aimed at the Republicans.
“In November next year we will fire all politicians who have betrayed the American people,” he wrote in another X -Post.
It is a acute shift for Musk, the richest person in the world who spent at least 250 million US dollars for the support of Trump’s campaign last year. Previously, he promised to defeat the Republican legislators that Trump considered inadequate as inadequate, but now he suggests choosing them if they drive the president’s legislative priority.
However, it is unclear how Musk will hold out his criticism. He recently said that he would spend “much less” for political campaigns, even though he left the door open for political participation, “when I see a reason”.
The Missivians of the Tech Titan could cause headaches for Republicans on the Capitol Hill, which are faced with contradictory demands by Trump and the richest benefactor of their party.
Alex Conant, a Republican strategist, said: “It is not helpful” that Muschus criticizes legislation, but he does not expect legislators to be with musk about Trump.
“The Republicans of the Senate will not be the tax cuts,” said Conant. “It makes the task of leadership so more difficult to argue the holding out.”
Trump can change the result in republican primaries with his notes, but Musk does not have this level of influence, said Conant.
“No matter what Elon Musk or anyone else says – and I don’t want to reduce him because I don’t think that is fair – it will still be second to President Trump,” said Senator Shelley Moore Capito’s republican senator.
Musk’s business interests can be successful if the legislator of Trump’s draft law would agree to what would reduce the financing of electric vehicles and related technologies. Musk is the managing director of Tesla, the largest electric vehicle manufacturer in the country, and SpaceX, which has massive defense contracts.
Last month, Musk said that he was “disappointed” by the expenditure calculation, a much milder criticism than the broad side he spent on Tuesday.
The budget package tries to extend the tax cuts approved in 2017 during Trump’s first term in the White House and add recent ones for which he started. It also includes a massive structure of 350 billion US dollars for border security, deportation and national security.
In order to cover some of the lost tax revenue to the government and to limit the country’s debt burden to the 36 trillion US dollars, the Republicans want to reduce federal expenditure by imposing work requirements for some Americans who rely on the government’s security network services.
Musks Post threw another hurdle in front of the majority leader of the Senate, John Thunes, already sophisticated task of giving a draft law in good time so that Trump has reached his goal of signing it by July 4. The Republican of South Dakota has only a few votes in the Slim majority of the GOP with 53 seats.
Two of the Fiskal -Hawkish Republicans in the Senate quickly supported the musk.
“We can and have to do better,” wrote the Senator of Kentucky, Rand Paul, about X. Utah Senator Mike Lee, “Bundes expenditure has become too exaggerated” and added that this is caused in inflation and “weapons”.
Nevertheless, Trump enjoys a violent loyalty in the GOP base, and in the end his opinion can be the only one that counts.
The Press spokesman for the White House, Karoline Leavitt, played criticism criticized.
“The President already knows where Elon Musk was on this draft law,” said Leavitt and Musks Post “does not change the opinion of the president”.
The tension in the GOP delighted Democrats, which were in the unlikely position of the siding with musk. Democrats carry out a comprehensive political attack on GOP proposals to reduce medicaid, food brands and environmentally affable energy investments in order to pay more than $ 4.5 trillion in tax cuts. Many legislators are hammered at home in exuberant town halls.
“We agree,” said Hakeem Jeffries, leader of the House reduction, about Muschus. The New York democratic legislator stood in addition to an expression of Musks Post during a Capitol press conference.
The last time Muschus put a significant impact on the legislation, the scenario was very different. His power was ascending after the election, with Trump joined him for a rocket test in Texas and created him to investigate Doge.
During the transition period, Musk began to close the opposition against laws that would prevent a government fortune and repeatedly set off on X. Trump soon burdened himself and encouraged the Republicans to withdraw from a two -party deal. The legislator finally put together a recent agreement.
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Cooper reported by Phoenix. Joey Capelletti and Mary Claire Jalonick in Washington contributed the reporting.
