Elon Musk Goes Off Again
Byron York
Has it really been less than a month since Elon Musk flew off the handle, trashed his benefactor, the president, pledged to kill the administration's top legislative priority, and, on top of all that, have the president impeached? It seems like years ago, but it was actually less than 30 days. That's how quickly Musk disappeared from national politics when he left his position at DOGE and returned to his valuable work at SpaceX and Tesla, among other companies.
Now, though, Musk is at it again. With President Donald Trump's top legislative priority -- Trump calls it the "Big Beautiful Bill" -- in a critical stage on Capitol Hill, Musk has stepped in again to threaten the president and the Republican Party with political ruination. What a good friend!
Musk's relapse is important because of 1) who he is, 2) how much money he has, and 3) the importance of passing the bill to Trump's influence and legacy. Legislatively speaking, the Big Beautiful Bill is the embodiment of everything Trump has done as president. It would make permanent the premier legislative achievement of his first term, the Trump tax cuts. It would fulfill the top unfulfilled promise of the first term, the border wall. It would make good on promises made during the 2024 campaign, such as no tax on tips and greater border security. It is one long expression of Trump's priorities as president. For the last five months, Trump has achieved many things by using his executive authority. Now, the "big, beautiful bill" is teed up to be Trump's big achievement in legislation.
And his close friend Elon is trying to kill it. Starting on Monday afternoon, Musk, who overpromised and underdelivered on his self-perceived abilities to cut government spending, began a series of posts on X in which he urged, and then threatened, House Republicans who planned to vote for the bill.
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https://townhall.com/columnists/byronyork/2025/07/02/columnistsbyronyork20250701elon-musk-goes-off-again-n2659795
