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Hello, friends. Hope you’ve all been having a good week.
And if you’ve been following the drama between Elon Musk and Trumpworld, you know that several Republicans have been dealing with a handful of wildfires this week. It’s become quite the public fallout and no punches are being held. More on that below.
The Big Idea
The great MAGA breakup: How Elon Musk’s feud with Trump unfolded
It’s been quite a week for Republicans in Congress — and Democrats are loving every minute of the chaos. What started as a surprise social media post from Elon Musk trashing Trump’s tax package has quickly devolved into an all-out MAGA war.
And it’s put Republicans in an uncomfortable position.
Let’s rewind and go back to where it all began. Musk caught many Republicans off guard when he posted on Tuesday: “I’m sorry, but I just can’t stand it anymore. This massive, outrageous, pork-filled Congressional spending bill is a disgusting abomination.”
Musk then went on to post — nearly constantly — for three days about how the bill was a disappointment.
Now, at first some Republicans were actually supportive of this. Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, for example, amplified many of Musk’s posts on X — arguing Republicans in fact should make changes to Trump’s tax bill to have deeper spending cuts.
But the online rhetoric really began to heat up on Thursday afternoon when Trump told reporters in the Oval Office that he and Musk “had a great relationship. I don’t know if we will anymore. I was surprised.”
Trump then went on to say the only reason Musk was against his “big beautiful bill” is because he was “upset” about the elimination of electric vehicle tax credits tucked into the package. Musk’s auto company Tesla heavily relies on those.
That prompted major backlash from Musk himself, who responded: “Whatever.” He then said Republicans could cut the credits if they wanted, but to “ditch the MOUNTAIN of DISGUSTING PORK in the bill.”
Things only got uglier from there.
Trump finally responded in back-to-back Truth Social posts, claiming that Musk “just went CRAZY!” Musk then claimed he was the only reason Trump won the 2024 election and that Republicans won control of Congress.
Then, Musk dropped a major bomb: “(Trump) is in the Epstein files. That is the real reason they have not been made public,” he wrote in a post on X. “Have a nice day, DJT!”
Hours later, Musk retweeted a post suggesting Trump should be impeached and replaced by Vice President JD Vance.
The next day, Trump told CNN he’s “not even thinking” about Musk and that he doesn’t expect the two to speak “for a while.” The president is even considering getting rid of his red Tesla, the outlet reported.
Musk reportedly wants to speak with Trump, but the president doesn’t seem particularly interested in doing so.
So yeah, messy.
And Republican lawmakers don’t quite know how to respond.
While Lee posted at least 10 times (as well a few reposts) in support of Musk after his initial complaint, those tapered off once Musk and Trump’s fight reached the public sphere.
Lee then broke his silence on Thursday evening, posting a photo of both Trump and Musk with the caption: “But … I really like both of them.”
To put into context: Lee is close allies with both Trump and Musk. But now, he — and several other Republicans on the Hill — are being thrown into the middle of what appears to be a messy divorce.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D. — who was also called out by Musk on X — told reporters: “I don’t have an observation on that.”
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., had a lengthier comment, defending himself from Musk’s accusations by describing himself as someone who has “always been a lifelong fiscal hawk.”
While most Republicans don’t appear to be taking sides — Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., described it as a disagreement between “the two biggest dogs in the pound” — they are coming out to say Musk has taken a step too far.
“I would say so, yes,” Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., said in terms of the Epstein files allegation.
“I don’t think Trump should be impeached. I don’t know if he’s in the Epstein files, but they should be released,” said Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky. — who, by the way, is a staunch opponent to Trump’s tax bill.
“Honestly, if any of that stuff was true on Trump, don’t you think the Biden administration would have brought it out?” Burchett said.
“I’ve had a lot of love and respect for (Musk), for what you’ve done for this country over the last several months, but you’ve lost your damn mind,” Rep. Troy Nehls, R-Texas, said. “You’ve lost your mind. Enough is enough. Stop this. I don’t think it’s healthy.”
There’s little indication this will die down anytime soon. But it seems clear a path to reconciliation may not be feasible — at least not any time soon.
Stories driving the week
DOGE Cuts: In other Elon-related news, the White House finally sent over its official rescissions package to Congress this week, with GOP leaders planning to vote on the proposed spending cuts next week. The package contains $9.4 billion in spending cuts identified by Musk and DOGE over the last few months, targeting agencies such as USAID and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
Public lands for sale? A proposal to sell off public lands in Utah and Nevada could be revived in the massive tax reconciliation bill, thanks to Sen. Mike Lee. The move comes after the House stripped language to sell more than 211,000 acres across Utah and Nevada amid pushback.
Republicans sink teeth into Biden. The House Oversight Committee ramped up its investigation into the Biden administration this week, demanding interviews with five former senior White House aides — claiming former President Joe Biden was not running the country during his term.
Quick hits
From the Hill: Republican leaders raise doubts about CBO projections. … Bill Gates helps Sen. John Curtis in his efforts to preserve clean energy. … Sen. Mike Lee could reinstate language to sell Utah’s public lands in Trump tax package.
From the White House: Trump issues second travel ban citing national security concerns. … The BYU grad at the heart of Trump’s trade war. … Trump DOJ investigates Biden’s pardons.
From the courts: SCOTUS issues rare unanimous ruling. … Supreme Court sides with straight woman in ‘reverse discrimination’ case (USA Today)
What’s next
Congress is gone for the weekend. The House and Senate will be back next week.
And aside from all the drama this week, they’ve still got a lengthy list of things to do. Top of the list: Trump’s rescissions package, which the House is expected to vote on next week. The Senate will have to pick it up soon after.
Meanwhile, the Senate must still continue negotiations over Trump’s “big, beautiful bill” — with their goal still to have it finalized by the Fourth of July recess.
As always, feel free to reach out to me by email with story ideas or questions you have for lawmakers. And follow me on X for breaking news and timely developments from the Hill.