After spending nine figures and almost a year getting Donald Trump elected, billionaire Elon Musk has openly declared war against the president's own Republican party.
In an ominous tweet, Musk vowed that "in November next year, we fire all politicians who betrayed the American people" — quote-tweeting a post that seethed against "GOP" lawmakers who were "spending millions on luxury hotels" while "not voting on any DOGE cuts."
The broadside comes as the mercurial CEO has been raging against Trump's so-called "big, beautiful" tax and spending bill, fuming that it will massively increase the federal budget deficit and undermine the efforts his so-called Department of Government Efficiency has been overseeing.
It also came after Musk torched the bill in a separate message on Tuesday, excoriating it as a "disgusting abomination."
"I’m sorry, but I just can’t stand it anymore," Musk wrote. "Shame on those who voted for it: you know you did wrong. You know it."
His fiery rhetoric marks a major escalation between the world's most powerful man and its wealthiest one. Given his latest comments, Musk is actively turning against the political far right, a major reversal given his strong affiliation with Trump so far.
The news comes roughly a week after Musk announced he would be departing the world of politics, claiming that he had "done enough." He spent much of last week giving interviews about his ailing businesses, which he had largely abandoned since jumping aboard the Trump train.
Musk now finds himself in the company of several Republican lawmakers who have openly opposed Trump's proposed budget. The bill passed the House in mid-May, but is expected to encounter major headwinds in the Senate.
"I agree with Elon," senator Rand Paul (R-KY) tweeted. "We have both seen the massive waste in government spending and we know another $5 trillion in debt is a huge mistake."
How far Musk is actually committed to this newfound opposition remains dubious at best. In many ways, the billionaire has already gotten what he came for, leaving government agencies that were once investigating his businesses in ruins.
Is Musk trying to save face and regain withered support from the political left, something that's bound to be an enormous uphill battle? Or does he see the writing on the wall, with the bill wiping out clean energy incentives that once propped up his EV maker, Tesla?
While Musk was away gutting federal agencies, Tesla was put through the wringer, with sales falling off a cliff worldwide. The billionaire has lost a tremendous amount of goodwill, torching his carmaker's brand in the process.
With Trump's bill potentially ripping up EV tax incentives, Tesla's existing crisis could soon take a turn for the worse.
As is often the case, it's impossible to get a firm grip on what Musk is trying to achieve. Is this a story of regret, of panic, or perhaps even drug withdrawal?
Either way, the last six months have proven disastrous for Musk, whose cost-cutting measures are about to be flushed down the toilet with a spending bill that's expected to load on trillions of dollars in additional debt. One way or another, he seems miserable.
More on the cold war: "Disgusting Abomination": Cold War Between Musk and Trump Explodes Into Public
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