Elon Musk, who once headed the Department of Governmental Efficiency (DOGE), renewed his criticism of Trump’s “big beautiful bill”. He called the bill “utterly insane and destructive” as the voting on the Senate draft of the tax and spending bill is underway.

Taking to X (formerly Twitter), Musk warned that this bill would “cause immense strategic harm to our country”. He added that “it gives handouts to industries of the past while severely damaging industries of the future”.

It came as a response to user Jesse Jenkins’ post, who condemned the bill’s provision to raise “taxes on all wind and solar projects”. The criticisms from Musk on the 940-page bill reignited the fiery conflict between President Trump and the Tesla CEO.

As Senate Republicans race to meet Trump’s July 4 deadline, the “big beautiful bill” combines deep spending cuts to other programs like Medicaid. Food stamps with tax breaks and increased funding for defence and deportations were also included in the bill.

Days after Musk left the Oval Office after his “scheduled time”, he blasted the bill as “pork-filled” and a “disgusting abomination”. “Shame on those who voted for it: you know you did wrong. You know it,” he wrote on X earlier this month. This soon turned into a very public spat between the President and Musk, two of the most influential voices in the US.

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Senate proceedings stalled until Vice President JD Vance arrived to break a possible tie, amid tense negotiations and Republican infighting. Several GOP senators opposed opening debate on a bill that will offset $3.8 trillion in extended Trump-era tax breaks. However, the Senate Republicans voting in a dramatic late Saturday session narrowly cleared a key procedural step. The tally, 51-49, came after a tumultuous session with Vice President JD Vance on hand if needed to break the tie. Tense scenes played out in the chamber as voting came to a standstill, dragging for hours as holdout senators huddled for negotiations. In the end, two Republicans opposed the motion to proceed to debate, joining all Democrats.

While Republican leaders push to advance the legislation, internal disagreements have slowed progress. Senate Majority Leader John Thune urged swift passage, while the White House voiced strong support, calling the bill key to the president’s agenda. Meanwhile, Trump spent the day at his Virginia golf course, with GOP senators sharing updates online.

The ‘big beautiful bill’

A major feature of the bill is Trump’s $350 billion plan focused on the border and national security. It allocates $46 billion to extend the US-Mexico border wall, $45 billion to support 1,00,000 migrant detention beds, and includes a major recruitment push for immigration enforcement, with 10,000 new ICE officers offered $10,000 signing bonuses.

This plan underpins Trump’s pledge to carry out the largest mass deportation campaign in US history, aiming to deport nearly one million individuals annually.