The gloves are off in the high-stakes showdown between tech titan Elon Musk and President Donald Trump. What started as a simmering disagreement over a colossal piece of legislation has erupted into a full-blown war of words, with Musk delivering a masterstroke of digital warfare: weaponizing Trump’s own decade-old pronouncements on fiscal responsibility.
It’s a clash of egos and ideologies, playing out on the digital battlefield of X (formerly Twitter). At the heart of the dispute? A massive bill, affectionately dubbed “big and beautiful” by Trump, that Musk vehemently opposes, calling it a “disgusting abomination” that will plunge the national debt into an even deeper abyss – currently a staggering $36.2 trillion and climbing.
The dramatic turn came Thursday when Musk, with the precision of a digital archer, unearthed a January 2013 tweet from then-private citizen Trump. The quote: “I cannot believe the Republicans are extending the debt ceiling—I am a Republican & I am embarrassed!” Musk’s simple, yet devastating, retort: “wise words.” He didn’t stop there, also resurrecting a July 2012 Trump post demanding that “No member of Congress should be eligible for re-election if our country’s budget is not balanced—deficits not allowed!” To which Musk declared, “I couldn’t agree more.”
The implication was clear: the very principles Trump once championed, Musk now argues, are being abandoned for this “big, beautiful bill.”
Speaker Johnson, among others, expressed shock at Musk’s “180” turn, given his prior proximity to the administration’s inner workings. Trump himself was quick to express his “very disappointed” with Musk, claiming the Tesla CEO “knew the inner workings of this bill better than almost anybody” and only developed an issue when potential cuts to EV mandates surfaced.
Musk, however, wasn’t having it. He fired back on X, dismissing Trump’s claims as “False,” asserting, “this bill was never shown to me even once and was passed in the dead of night so fast that almost no one in Congress could even read it!” He then dared Trump to keep the EV/solar incentive cuts while simultaneously blasting the “MOUNTAIN of DISGUSTING PORK” in the legislation.
“In the entire history of civilization, there has never been legislation that both big and beautiful. Everyone knows this! Either you get a big and ugly bill or a slim and beautiful bill. Slim and beautiful is the way,” Musk quipped, further illustrating his disdain for the bill’s sheer size and scope.
This isn’t just a spat; it’s a call to arms. Having recently stepped down from his unofficial role as the head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), Musk has been relentlessly campaigning against the bill. He’s implored his millions of followers to “Call your Senator, Call your Congressman,” thundering, “Bankrupting America is NOT ok! KILL the BILL.” He even repurposed a “Kill Bill” movie poster, featuring his face, to drive home his dramatic demand.
While the House has already passed the bill, with Republican leaders pushing for swift Senate approval to avert a looming $4 trillion tax hike, Musk remains an unwavering antagonist. He’s even thrown his weight behind Sen. Mike Lee’s proposed constitutional amendment that would automatically remove members of Congress if inflation surpasses 3%.
As the national debt spirals and political battles rage, the public is left to watch this extraordinary spectacle: two of the world’s most influential figures duking it out, with old tweets serving as potent new ammunition in a fight for the nation’s financial future.