“He doesn’t govern,”…“He’s not that big a factor.”…Trump laughed off Musk’s criticism during a closed-door meeting with Senate Republicans, a lawmaker said.
Senate Republicans are brushing off tech billionaire Elon Musk’s demand to “kill the bill,” as they press forward with President Donald Trump’s “big, beautiful” tax and spending package.
Musk, who recently concluded a brief government stint combating waste, took to X this week, urging Americans to oppose the bill, which he claims risks bankrupting the U.S. But GOP lawmakers appear largely unmoved.
“He doesn’t govern,” said Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.). “He’s not that big a factor.” Sen. Roger Marshall (R-Kan.) echoed similar sentiments, saying Trump laughed off Musk’s criticism during a closed-door meeting with Senate Republicans.
The bill, which aims to make Trump’s first-term tax cuts permanent, is estimated to cost $4 trillion. It includes $1.5 trillion in spending cuts, but critics like Musk and Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) argue the package doesn’t go far enough to tackle the national debt, now over $36 trillion.
Insiders say Musk’s opposition may stem from provisions targeting electric vehicle tax credits, a blow to his business interests. Still, Republicans plan to advance the legislation using budget reconciliation—sidestepping the filibuster—as long as they secure 51 Senate GOP votes.