“Big Beautiful Bill” Passes the Senate As the Musk-Trump Feud Escalates

Elon Musk, who has been relatively quiet over the last couple of weeks, has reemerged, and he’s not mincing words.

In a bold political statement, the billionaire innovator blasted Congress over its passage of what he calls the largest debt increase in history.

The “Big Beautiful Bill,” as it’s being called, was pushed through the U.S. Senate by a razor-thin margin. The vote was split 50-50, with Vice President JD Vance casting the tie-breaking vote. It’s a defining moment for America’s fiscal future—and one that exposes the real battle lines in Washington.

Musk, who has long positioned himself as a maverick outsider, issued a stark warning: “Every member of Congress who campaigned on reducing government spending and then immediately voted for the biggest debt increase in history should hang their heads in shame. They will lose their primary next year if it’s the last thing I do on Earth.”

He went further, threatening to launch the “American Party” the day after the bill’s passage – an alternative to what he calls the “Democrat Republican UniParty.”

Launching a viable third-party candidate in the United States, particularly at the presidential level, has historically been extremely challenging due to longstanding structural and institutional factors. So while Musk threatens the Republican Party, we do have to remember that the system is bigger than we realize. The way our system works makes it extremely difficult to achieve a balanced budget and absolute deficit reduction. Congress has the power of the purse, not the President. We must remember how difficult it is for any one leader to achieve goals like a balanced budget or principal deficit reduction unilaterally, no matter how much they want to.

Understandably, a large spending bill could make people uneasy. Concerns about government spending ARE valid, especially when rising costs are already affecting families across the country. In California, for example, gas prices are the highest in the nation and are continuing to rise. This increase is not isolated; it reflects a broader pattern of far-Left mismanagement that needs to be addressed to find real, lasting solutions.

Former acting Director of National Intelligence and ACLJ team member Ric Grenell addressed this directly:

Well, first of all, let's just make one thing clear. California already has the highest gas prices. We had those yesterday, and today they're even higher. Now there's a big debate on exactly how high, but the studies that conservatives are pointing to show that with the increase in gas tax, the increase in regulatory frameworks surrounding cars, and all of the other things that the governor wants to do when it comes to roads and additional funding. All of that is going to increase our gas [price], which is currently the highest in the country.

California’s government is relying on tax hikes and car registration increases because its leadership lacks the political will to make the necessary budget cuts. One-party rule in Sacramento has allowed the budget to become bloated with wasteful spending and DEI programs. Rather than cutting spending, Governor Gavin Newsom continues to raise taxes, and California families are bearing the brunt of the costs. It’s backwards and every American family knows it. As Ric noted:

And what [Governor Newsom is] not telling you is that while Donald Trump and the feds are cutting, he's taking advantage of those cuts and then still raising it, pretending like he didn't raise it enough because he's capitalizing on some of the Fed cuts.

But make no mistake about it, the radical environmental policies that Gavin Newsom keeps pushing are the strongest in America. They make the auto industry create completely different engines for sale in California because of our crazy environmental laws.

You combine that with the tax increase on the gasoline, the state tax, and Californians are paying in terms of insurance for our cars, or gasoline to put in the cars, the highest in the country. And Gavin Newsom is left to just simply say, well, it's not as high as you're saying it is. There's no plan; there's no reverse. There’s just simply more radical environmental regulatory frameworks that are costing Californians.

These fiscal challenges in California highlight the broader debate over government spending and fiscal responsibility – issues now taking center stage in Washington.

With the House preparing to consider the Senate’s version of the “Big Beautiful Bill,” attention is focused on Speaker Mike Johnson. As the July 4th deadline approaches, key decisions remain about the bill’s future and its alignment with prior legislative efforts. Lawmakers, the public, and the ACLJ are closely watching the developments.

At the ACLJ, we fight every day to expose corruption, rein in chaos, and defend the values that make America great. We appreciate your standing strong with us to do the same.

Today’s Sekulow broadcast included a complete analysis of Elon Musk’s bold rebuke of the passage of the Big Beautiful Bill, an update on our Massachusetts case defending pro-life centers, and we broke down how California’s Governor Gavin Newsom is raising taxes and its impact on its residents.

Watch the full broadcast below: