Elon Musk Trashes Trump’s Budget! - Bulwark Takes

Summary

Bulwark Takes: Elon Musk Trashes Trump’s Budget!

Episode Overview In the June 4, 2025 episode of Bulwark Takes, hosted by Sarah Longwell, The Bulwark delves into the escalating conflict between tech mogul Elon Musk and former President Donald Trump over the newly proposed congressional spending bill. This detailed summary captures the key points, discussions, insights, and conclusions presented in Sarah Longwell's comprehensive analysis of the situation.

1. Introduction to the Conflict

Sarah Longwell opens the episode by addressing the unexpected involvement of Elon Musk in political discourse, particularly his vehement criticism of Trump's proposed budget. Despite initial hesitations to cover the topic due to previous discussions by her team, Longwell emphasizes the evolving nature of Musk's actions and their significance.

[00:00] Sarah Longwell: “They begged me not to do this video... But come on, no way I'm sitting this action out because I've got more takes.”

2. Elon Musk's Criticism of the Budget

Longwell provides a chronological overview of Musk's recent tweets condemning the congressional spending bill. Musk labels the bill as a "massive, outrageous, pork-filled congressional spending bill" and an "abomination," explicitly blaming Republican lawmakers for its passage, excluding Representative Massie.

[00:30] Sarah Longwell: “He is condemning right now every congressional Republican who voted for Trump's big beautiful bill.”

Musk argues that the bill will inflate the national deficit to $2.5 trillion, burdening American citizens with unsustainable debt. Longwell echoes Musk's sentiments, agreeing that the bill is excessive and detrimental.

[01:15] Sarah Longwell: “Guess what? He's right. Elon's right. This bill is ridiculous. It is too big.”

3. Financial Implications of the Budget

The discussion shifts to the bill's financial repercussions. Longwell highlights Musk's criticism of the bill's disproportionate tax cuts favoring the wealthy while cutting essential programs like Medicaid. She concurs, noting that although she generally supports tax cuts, the proposed legislation is counterproductive.

[02:00] Sarah Longwell: “I've always liked tax cuts. But this bill is absurd and it does nothing. It adds like $20 trillion to the debt over 10 years.”

Longwell underscores the unsustainable nature of the bill, projecting that it could escalate the national debt to nearly $60 trillion amidst high inflation and increased interest payments, thereby undermining programs that support the American populace.

4. Elon Musk's Political Maneuvering

Musk’s frustration extends beyond budgetary concerns to his broader influence within the Republican Party. Longwell explains Musk’s intentions to leverage his platform—particularly Twitter—to influence the 2026 midterms by targeting Republicans who supported the bill.

[03:45] Sarah Longwell: “In November next year, we fire all politicians who betrayed the American people.”

This strategy aims to hold Republican legislators accountable, potentially weakening the party's cohesion by exposing rifts between different factions.

5. Historical Context and Musk’s Government Role

Longwell delves into Musk's past involvement in government, critiquing his tenure and the unrealistic expectations he set for budget cuts. She recalls Musk's failed attempt to reduce the budget by $2 trillion, which necessitated drastic cuts to vital programs, ultimately leading to his removal from government positions.

[05:30] Sarah Longwell: “Elon has been a massive failure in his role in the federal government. Like, there's a reason they kicked him out.”

She contrasts Musk's actions with Trump’s promises, asserting that Trump has, in reality, increased the national debt more than Democrats, despite his rhetoric on fiscal responsibility.

6. Fallout Between Musk and Trump

The relationship between Musk and Trump has deteriorated significantly. Longwell describes how Musk's aggressive stance threatens the previously stable alliance, exacerbating tensions within the Republican Party.

[07:20] Sarah Longwell: “The whole ethos is you put on the hat and the policy doesn't matter. Right. You know, we don't, we don't have a, there's no Republican platform anymore.”

She notes that Musk's shift from collaboration to confrontation could destabilize the party, forcing Republicans to navigate between different factions with conflicting priorities.

7. Political Implications for the Republican Party

Longwell explores the broader implications of Musk's actions on the Republican Party. She suggests that Musk's opposition could alienate members of the "tech bro" wing and create pressure for the party to reconsider its stance on fiscal policies.

[09:00] Sarah Longwell: “If Elon continues to agitate against this bill, it is going to make Republicans really nervous... It’s going to put this bill in the crosshair of voters who really, you know, have like supported the idea of what Elon is doing.”

This internal conflict may force the party to address fiscal responsibility more earnestly, potentially leading to electorate shifts and strategic realignments.

8. Conclusion and Future Outlook

In wrapping up, Longwell expresses hope that the ensuing conflict between Musk and Trump will lead to meaningful discourse on fiscal policy and government spending. She anticipates further developments and continued coverage of Musk's relentless tweeting and evolving stance.

[10:45] Sarah Longwell: “I hope that what was an enthusiastic alliance moved to an uneasy alliance, moved to a tense sort of standoff over this bill.”

Longwell concludes by emphasizing the importance of reducing national debt and fostering accountability within the Republican Party, viewing the conflict as a necessary catalyst for political and fiscal reform.

Key Takeaways:

Elon Musk has publicly denounced Trump's proposed congressional spending bill, citing its massive impact on the national deficit and its disproportionate benefits to the wealthy.
Musk’s actions signal a significant rift within the Republican Party, potentially influencing the 2026 midterm elections.
Longwell agrees with Musk’s assessment of the bill’s financial imprudence but criticizes Musk’s political acumen and past governmental roles.
The conflict underscores broader tensions between different factions within the GOP, particularly between tech-oriented members and traditional MAGA supporters.
The episode highlights the critical need for fiscal responsibility and sustainable government spending to ensure national security and economic stability.

Notable Quotes:

Sarah Longwell on Musk’s condemnation: “This is a massive, outrageous, pork-filled congressional spending bill is a disgusting abomination.” [00:30]
Sarah Longwell on the bill’s debt impact: “It adds like $20 trillion to the debt over 10 years. It is unsustainable.” [02:00]
Sarah Longwell on Musk’s political influence: “In November next year, we fire all politicians who betrayed the American people.” [03:45]
Sarah Longwell on the rift with Trump: “The whole ethos is you put on the hat and the policy doesn't matter.” [07:20]
Sarah Longwell on the future conflict: “I hope that what was an enthusiastic alliance moved to an uneasy alliance, moved to a tense sort of standoff over this bill.” [10:45]

This episode of Bulwark Takes provides a thorough analysis of Elon Musk's critique of Trump's budget, exploring the implications for fiscal policy and intra-party dynamics within the Republican Party. Sarah Longwell presents a nuanced perspective, acknowledging Musk’s valid concerns about the national debt while critiquing his political strategies and past governmental involvement.

Transcript

Sarah Longwell (0:00)

Hey, guys. Sarah Longwell, publisher of the Bulwark here, and my team begged me not to do this video. They said Tim and Joe and Sam, they already cut an Elon video. But come on, no way I'm sitting this action out because I've got more takes. And also because this is because Elon's always tweeting through it. This is a rapidly evolving situation. Let me just read you what he has done so far in chronological order. Okay, so he starts out couple hours ago and he says, I'm sorry, but I just can't stand it anymore. This massive, outrageous, pork filled congressional spending bill is a disgusting abomination. Shame on those who voted for it. You know you did wrong. You know it. Do you know who voted for this bill? All the Republicans in Congress except for Massie. Okay, so he is condemning right now every congressional Republican who, who voted for Trump's big beautiful bill. He then goes on to say it will massively increase the already gigantic budget deficit to 2.5 trillion. Three exclamation points. And burden American citizens with crushingly unsustainable debt. Guess what? He's right. Elon's right. This bill is ridiculous. It is too big. It is cutting Medicaid for lower income people in order to give a massive tax cut to higher income people, to billionaires and millionaires. And guess what? I love tax cuts. I've always liked tax cuts. But this bill is absurd and it does nothing. It adds like $20 trillion to the debt over 10 years. It is unsustainable. It is crushing. It would put us close to $60 trillion in debt at a time when inflation is high and we are paying more to service the interest on the debt than we are on programs that help the American people. This is not America First. And Elon is correct about this. Now he was wrong when he thought he could roll in there with doge and cut 2 trillion out of the budget. He learned the hard way that there's not a lot to cut unless you start cutting Medicaid, Medicare, Social Security and the military. And clearly nobody wanted to do that. And so they forced Elon out. And now Elon is going after. I mean, the Republicans have passed nothing else. This is the signature bill. They are trying to get it all in here and do everything with this bill. And Elon is trying to torpedo it. But he goes on. He goes on, this is the. This is the best. I'm having the best day. He goes on to say, in November next year, we fire all politicians who betrayed the, the American people. He is Talking about the 2026 midterms firing all the Republicans who vote for this bill. So he is lining up potentially his money, certainly his clout on his favorite, his favorite, you know, propaganda machine, Twitter. He is going to use it to beat up on these Republicans. I'll tell you what, I bet he was really annoying in the White House. But I, but having him piss from outside the tent in is going to be a lot worse than having him piss inside out. And but I just want to say Republicans, this is why I really wanted to do the emergency thing because they're already responding to Elon based Mike Lee, one of the worst senators in Congress, one of the most terminally online former never Trumper, somebody who tried hard to keep Trump from becoming the nominee, but back in 2016 tweeted, Federal spending has become excessive. The resulting inflation harms Americans and weaponizes government. The Senate can make this bill better. It must do so now. This is great. This is great. So first of all, I just want to say again, Elon is correct about this. The idea that Trump would do the big tax cuts right now and add this much money to the debt after paying so much lip service to saying what, how much money Democrats have added to the debt? No, I mean, this is the thing. Look, I've always been a debt and deficit hawk. It's one of the reasons I was conservative. Right. Republicans talked about the need to reduce the debt. I believe this strongly. Okay. I think that it is a national security risk. China, other countries have to buy all of our debt. I think, you know, they're going to downgrade our ratings the more debt we take on like it is unsustainable. We are saddling our children with an enormous amount of debt and an inability to spend money. But Donald Trump has acted like he was going to cut the debt and the deficit, but instead he is adding more to it than Democrats have. In fact, Democrats have consistently. I mean, if you do look back, Republicans talk about the debt and deficit while they increase it and Democrats talk about spending. And yet they have been the ones who have been more fiscally responsible when they are actually in office. That has just been a reality. If you go back, look. And if you just go back and look. And so we are now in an incredibly precarious spot. But the political implications of this, so obviously, look, I had to unblock Elon from Twitter in order to read his posts because I have not wanted to see a thing that Elon has said for a very long time. I do not think Elon is smart about politics. I do not think he knows anything. I think he was idiotic to claim that. I think it, it, it belied how little he knew about the way government works. And look again, a former squishy Republican here who was like, yeah, we should tighten up government. It should be more limited. I'm pro that. That's not what Doge did. Doge, first of all, way over promised, right? There was never 2 trillion they were going to get out of that budget. And then I think they just went in there, as best I can tell, and they hoovered up a bunch of our information. They fired a bunch of people, including. They cut off a lot of research. They fought, you know, they got rid of usaid, one of the most important and very inexpensive mechanisms for promoting soft power around the globe. And so he did nothing but damage. There was nothing smart about the way he approached cutting the federal government. He had his, you know, guy like, big balls and these, you know, these like tech bros that came in. No evidence that when all was said and done between what it cost the American people and what they actually cut, basically the whole thing was awash. So Elon has been a massive failure in his role in the federal government. Like, there's a reason they kicked him out. It's because, you know, when Trump asked the other day, is it all bullshit what Elon was doing? The answer is yes, it was all bullshit. But this rift between Trump and Elon, look, I think we used to ask ourselves this question, can they sustain this relationship? Back when they were, you know, Elon was jumping up on stage and his short little shirt showing off his belly. And then once he got in the, was holding the bizarre press conferences, you could tell that that was a relationship that could potentially end very badly. Now they've, they've done a lot like Elon. Elon's a tough person for Trump to take on. It's not like firing one of the generals. And there's a reason he went into the Oval Office and had a pretty like a nice send off for Elon and said, Elon will always be with us as though it were a funeral and Elon is a specter that will haunt us. But, but Trump wanted to stay on good terms with Elon because Elon controls a massive propaganda machine and has an infinite, an almost infinite amount of money. And for them to fall out like this. Now, Caroline Levitt was asked by Peter Doocy about what Musk said about the bill at a press conference earlier, and she said, the President is familiar with, you know, Elon's feelings about the bill. So fine. However, this is, I mean Elon's clearly, I don't know if it's like ketamine withdrawal or if it's what happens on I don't know anything about ketamine. But he is clearly going to shift his posture now to take a stand against this bill and threaten Republican legislators who are gonna support it. That is a massive political development. It means that Elon's gonna go after these people and be mad on his website. It also creates real pressure on the Republicans in this sort of tenuous coalition between tech maga and populist maga, right. There was always like a Steve Bannon, Elon Musk, real tension. You know, Laura Loomer and Steve Bannon are Elon Musk and the all in guys and the other tech bros, you know, they're over here. This is the beginning of a bunch of that uneasy alliance sort of the tech side or the side that was really thought, you know, Elon was going to be able to go in there and solve this problem. Now that it's clear he couldn't, he's going to say it is because Republicans wouldn't let him, they were not serious about cutting the debt or the deficit. And if he continues to agitate against this bill, it is going to, Republicans make really nervous, is going to put this bill in the crosshair of voters who really, you know, have like supported the idea of what Elon is doing, who think we need to cut government, who have cited the debt. Now look, and look, I'm not naive about voters. I listen to them all the time. They can hold two competing ideas and hold them both as equally true and you know, without ever recognizing the contradiction. But this is the beginning of an all out fight and a political fight that Donald Trump doesn't want. But it seems like Elon might, Elon might want this fight. And part of that could be, I'm not sure about this, but it is possible that despite how little he knew about the federal government, that he is serious about the idea. Like he, he, like maybe he believes what he's saying. Like that's the worst thing for Trump because the Trump, the whole ethos is you put on the hat and the policy doesn't matter. Right. You know, we don't, we don't have a, there's no Republican platform anymore. It's just whatever Donald Trump says. That's not what Elon's doing. If Elon takes him on, on policy and stands on. It's not exactly principle but caring about a thing. And look, maybe he cares about it for his own reasons because he doesn't want to look like a failure. He wants to pass it off to somebody else. You know, he wants to, you know, this is about Elon. But like maybe he actually cares about this. And that is the most dangerous thing for Trump because it means Elon won't stop pushing the hat, won't be enough. So I'm looking forward to see how this plays out. I'm looking forward to see whether more Republicans in Congress, Republicans, quote, tweet him to say that they're going to take a hard look at this bill. I'm looking forward to the Senate trying to figure out what to do about this big, beautiful bill and for whatever fallout ensues between the MAGA wing and the tech bro wing, because that's going to be good. That's going to be a positive development. Now look, I hope they do cut spending out of this. I hope they do not jack up the debt because that's like genuinely important for our country. But I also hope that what was an enthusiastic alliance moved to an uneasy alliance, moved to a tense sort of standoff over this bill. I hope it melts into a full on conflagration between these two guys that their egos get into it and in the process they both alienate lots of members of their coalition. I think that would be a good outcome. So anyway, there, that's my two cents. Thanks guys for subscribing. I'm sure we're going to talk about this on the next level tomorrow. I'm sure there will be more tweets. I mean, this guy can't help it. He just tweets every five seconds. It's hard to even find the tweets consecutively on this issue because he tweets so many times. But I'm sure we're going to cover it again tomorrow and see whatever else is unfolding. I'll see you guys later.