The Musk-Trump public wrestling match is back – Mother Jones
Evan Vucci/AP
After a brief interlude, Elon Musk on Saturday resumed his public wrestling match with President Donald Trump, ripping into the president’s domestic policy bill as “utterly insane and destructive” just as the Senate met to vote on a key procedural step to pass the “big beautiful bill.”
“The latest Senate draft bill will destroy millions of jobs in America and cause immense strategic harm to our country!” the billionaire wrote on X. In a later post, Musk warned that the bill would be “political suicide” for the Republican Party.
Musk’s apparent attempt to influence the vote ultimately failed; after several hours, the Senate ultimately cleared the procedural hurdle. But in this crucial moment for the president’s massive spending agenda, Musk’s latest attacks are certain to infuriate his former boss as their rift widens once more. Are we moments away from the return of ugly insults? Will Musk expand on his Jeffrey Epstein accusations? Will a new level of lawlessness be unlocked? As of this writing, Trump has yet to respond. But as I predicted only weeks ago, it was only a matter of time before their feud returned to the public sphere.
But what is certain, as Trump’s “big, beautiful bill” now heads to the House for final approval, is that the country is on the verge of passing one of the most dangerous bills in US history. It will decimate spending on Medicaid and food stamps while adding an estimated $3.3 trillion to the deficit—send energy bills skyrocketing across American households; unleash billions for Trump’s border wall; and far more.
Update, June 30: This article has been updated to reflect the latest estimate for the bill’s deficit spending.
Subscribe to the Mother Jones Daily to have our top stories delivered directly to your inbox.
By signing up, you agree to our privacy policy and terms of use, and to receive messages from Mother Jones and our partners.
For 50 years, Mother Jones has offered honest, investigative reporting you can rely on:
• Relentless in the pursuit of truth, unafraid to hold the powerful to account
• Independent from influence or agenda from oligarchs and corporations
• Freely accessible to every reader, never behind a paywall
But we can’t do any of this without you. Reader support powers our newsroom to stay nimble and fearless, ready for whatever story comes next. If you can, make a donation today.
For 50 years, Mother Jones has offered honest, investigative reporting you can rely on:
• Relentless in the pursuit of truth, unafraid to hold the powerful to account
• Independent from influence or agenda from oligarchs and corporations
• Freely accessible to every reader, never behind a paywall
But we can’t do any of this without you. Reader support powers our newsroom to stay nimble and fearless, ready for whatever story comes next. If you can, make a donation today.
Reveal
Stephanie Mencimer
Michael Mechanic
Sophie Hurwitz
Anna Merlan
Stephanie Mencimer
Alex Nguyen
Sponsored Post
Moms Clean Air Force
Molly Taft
Alex Nguyen
Samantha Michaels
Garrison Hayes
Subscribe to the Mother Jones Daily to have our top stories delivered directly to your inbox.
By signing up, you agree to our privacy policy and terms of use, and to receive messages from Mother Jones and our partners.
Save big on a full year of investigations, ideas, and insights.
Mother Jones has no billionaires calling the shots—just readers like you making fearless reporting possible
Inexpensive, too! Subscribe today and get a full year of Mother Jones for just $19.95.
Award-winning photojournalism.
Stunning video. Fearless conversations.
Subscribe to the Mother Jones Daily to have our top stories delivered directly to your inbox.
By signing up, you agree to our privacy policy and terms of use, and to receive messages from Mother Jones and our partners.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Copyright © 2026 Mother Jones and the Center for Investigative Reporting. All Rights Reserved.
And we respect that! But maybe you’re of a mind to support our work directly instead? We’re working hard to deliver fierce, independent journalism you can’t find elsewhere. But we can’t do that without reader support—your support. Please chip in today.
We noticed you have an ad blocker on. Can you pitch in a few bucks to help fund Mother Jones’ investigative journalism?
Mother Jones is an independent newsroom—not owned by billionaires who want to control the narrative or tell us what to publish. The only people we answer to are our readers: YOU.
Because we’re funded by readers, our need for your support continues past the fundraising drives. So don’t just read the investigations. Fund the investigations. If you can, make a donation today. Your contribution helps our newsroom keep telling the truth, exposing the lies, and standing strong.
Mother Jones is an independent newsroom—not owned by billionaires who want to control the narrative or tell us what to publish. The only people we answer to are our readers: YOU.
Because we’re funded by readers, our need for your support continues past the fundraising drives. So don’t just read the investigations. Fund the investigations. If you can, make a donation today. Your contribution helps our newsroom keep telling the truth, exposing the lies, and standing strong.
Sign up for the free Mother Jones Daily newsletter and follow the news that matters.
