Elon Musk made several last-ditch arguments on X, formerly Twitter, ahead of Saturday’s planned vote in the Senate that will look to advance President Donald Trump‘s “Big Beautiful” spending bill in a key vote.
Why It Matters
Musk, who had spent months as a close Trump ally during his time leading the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), very publicly criticized the bill after departing the federal government and returning to the private sector. Trump and Musk then had a very public falling out, hurling insults and allegations at each other.
During his time at DOGE, Musk looked for “waste, fraud, and abuse” across the federal government. As of May, DOGE said, it had saved $170 billion in federal spending. This amounts to 17 percent of the $1 trillion goal, and 8.5 percent of Musk’s $2 trillion “best-case outcome.”
Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill” represents Trump’s signature domestic policy initiative, combining massive tax cuts with significant spending on border security and defense while implementing substantial cuts to social safety net programs.
The Congressional Budget Office (CBO), which is nonpartisan, estimates the House’s version would add $2.4 trillion to the nation’s deficit over the next decade, though Republicans dispute this calculation. The bill’s passage would fundamentally reshape federal spending priorities and tax policy, affecting millions of Americans across income levels.
What To Know
The tech mogul renewed his criticism on Saturday in a series of posts on X, writing that the bill “raises the debt ceiling by $5 TRILLION, the biggest increase in history, putting America in the fast lane to debt slavery!”
“The latest Senate draft bill will destroy millions of jobs in America and cause immense strategic harm to our country! Utterly insane and destructive,” Musk wrote in a separate X post. “It gives handouts to industries of the past while severely damaging industries of the future.”
He quickly followed it with a post that included polling by The Tarrance Group, which showed the majority of all voters and even various groups of declared Republican voters, agree with Musk’s criticism and would grossly increase the federal budget by trillions of dollars.
“Polls show that this bill is political suicide for the Republican Party,” he wrote.
Senators are at Capitol Hill during a rare Saturday session in which Republicans will look to advance the bill to a vote, which will allow them to open debate and then vote on the final draft of the bill, which will send it back to the House due to changes the Senate made requiring fresh approval from its companion chamber.
However, Democrats have planned a significant delay measure. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York wrote on X that he would object to Republicans advancing the bill and require a full reading of the bill’s text before advancing to a vote.
A reading of the full 900-page document could take around 12 hours to complete, and Schumer acknowledged this by pledging that Democrats “will be here all night if that’s what it takes to read it.”
Kevin Carter/Getty Images // Allison Robbert/AFP via Getty Images
What People Are Saying
President Donald Trump on Friday wrote in a Truth Social post: “The Great Republicans in the U.S. Senate are working all weekend to finish our “ONE, BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL.” We are on the precipice of delivering Massive General Tax Cuts, NO TAX ON TIPS, NO TAX ON OVERTIME, NO TAX ON SOCIAL SECURITY FOR OUR SENIORS, Permanently Securing our Borders, an even Bigger and More Powerful Military (I rebuilt it during my First Term, and it is already the Best, but we will make it BETTER!), unleashing our American Economy, dominating the Energy Market, creating Jobs, and getting money back to American Families. The House of Representatives must be ready to send it to my desk before July 4th — We can get it done. It will be a wonderful Celebration for our Country, which is right now, “The Hottest Country anywhere in the World” — And to think, just last year, we were a laughingstock. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat, wrote on X: “It is hard to believe that Republican Senators—in the dead of night—made the bill even worse than their initial awful proposal. This bill virtually wipes out all wind and solar. We have to fight it.”
In a subsequent post, he wrote: “I will object to Republicans moving forward on their Big, Ugly Bill without reading it on the Senate floor. Republicans won’t tell America what’s in the bill. So Democrats are forcing it to be read start to finish on the floor. We will be here all night if that’s what it takes to read it.”
Senate Leader John Thune, a South Dakota Republican, wrote on X: “This bill delivers on the mandate the American people gave Republicans last year: a stronger, safer, and more prosperous America. It’s right around the corner.”
In a subsequent post, he wrote: “We have before us today a once-in-a-generation opportunity to deliver legislation to create a safer, stronger, and more prosperous America. It’s time to get this legislation across the finish line.”
What Happens Next?
The Senate must complete its work and pass the bill before sending it back to the House for a final vote. Trump has demanded the legislation reach his desk by July 4th.
Update 6/28/25, 6:08 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information.
