Elon Musk Warns Republicans: Vote For ‘Big, Beautiful Bill,’ Lose Your Next Primary

Billionaire tech entrepreneur Elon Musk said on Monday he will actively work toward ensuring GOP lawmakers who vote to pass the “One Big, Beautiful Bill” despite campaigning on promises to rein in government spending will lose their primaries.

The warning from Musk, whose alliance with President Donald Trump crumbled several weeks ago after he began openly criticizing the legislation, came as Republicans worked toward getting the 900-page-plus measure passed by the end of this week through the budget reconciliation process.

“Every member of Congress who campaigned on reducing government spending and then immediately voted for the biggest debt increase in history should hang their head in shame!” Musk said in a post on X. “And they will lose their primary next year if it is the last thing I do on this Earth.”

Such a move would mark a huge turnaround for Musk, who spent more than $250 million to help Trump and other Republicans win elections last year before spearheading the current administration’s Department of Government Efficiency effort through last month with a stated mission of getting rid of waste, fraud, and abuse.

Musk also chided members of the conservative House Freedom Caucus and begrudged how the bill may phase out green energy tax credits that could impact customers of his Tesla business. He even proposed the creation of a new political party.

“It is obvious with the insane spending of this bill, which increases the debt ceiling by a record FIVE TRILLION DOLLARS that we live in a one-party country – the PORKY PIG PARTY!! Time for a new political party that actually cares about the people,” he said, adding later, “If this insane spending bill passes, the America Party will be formed the next day. Our country needs an alternative to the Democrat-Republican uniparty so that the people actually have a VOICE.”

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Trump has similarly threatened back primary challengers against Republicans, but he did so against those who have spoken out against the “One Big, Beautiful Bill.” One of them, Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC), announced on Sunday he would not seek re-election. Another is Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY), whom Musk said he would support.

GOP leaders in the House and Senate are racing to get the legislation, which aims to fulfill many of Trump’s spending and tax-cut goals for his second term, to the president’s desk by his stated deadline of July 4. Topline items include extending the 2017 tax cuts set to expire at the end of this year, boosting funds for border security, and cutting red tape for American energy production.

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) said in a post on X the bill will be “JET FUEL” for the United States economy. “It makes the Trump tax cuts permanent, eliminates taxes on tips and overtime, provides tax relief for seniors, and slashes regulations to spur job creation and economic growth,” he said.

While the legislation did initially pass out of the House in late May, provisions in the bill have undergone a makeover, in part because the Senate parliamentarian determined they did not adhere to rules for reconciliation. As of press time, the process was ongoing as the upper chamber worked through a vote-a-rama on amendments.

Some, but not all proposed reforms, including an offering from Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) to “punish states that give Medicaid benefits to illegal aliens convicted or charged with crimes like murder or sex trafficking,” do not appear to be making it into the final product.

Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX), one of the Freedom Caucus members singled out by Musk, took a swipe at Senate Republicans for how their version of the bill is shaping up.

“We’d be in a much better spot if Republican Senators (applying for K St) showed half as much passion for tackling $37 trillion in debt and inflation as they do for preserving [Former President Joe] Biden’s green subsidies,” Roy said in a post on X.

Trump Lifts Sanctions On Syria In Sweeping Policy Shift

President Donald Trump issued an executive order on Monday lifting sanctions on Syria, the latest step in warming relations between Trump and Syria’s new president, Ahmed al-Sharaa.

The executive order, Providing for the Revocation of Syria Sanctions, will terminate various sanctions programs on Syria and the national emergency with respect to Syria, beginning on January 1, according to the Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

“These actions reflect the President’s vision of fostering a new relationship between the United States and a Syria that is stable, unified, and at peace with itself and its neighbors,” Rubio said in a statement. “U.S. sanctions will not be an impediment to Syria’s future.”

The announcement comes after Trump met with Sharaa — who toppled Syria’s anti-American dictator, Bashar al-Assad — during his visit to Gulf nations in May. After the meeting, Trump described the terrorist turned head of state as a “young attractive guy” with a “very strong past.” The meeting between Trump and Sharaa was the first meeting between an American president and a Syrian leader in 25 years.

“He’s got a real shot at holding it together,” Trump said of Sharaa. “I spoke with [Turkish] President Erdogan, who is very friendly with him. He feels he’s got a shot of doing a good job. It’s a torn-up country.”

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Al-Assad was toppled by Sharaa and his U.S.-designated terrorist organization, Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham, in December. Sharaa, who was once affiliated with Al-Qaeda and ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, had a $10 million FBI bounty on his head for almost a decade before it was lifted in 2024.

Rubio said he will also take “appropriate action” with regard to the Foreign Terrorist Organization designation of Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham group, and review the Specially Designated Global Terrorist designations of the group and Sharaa.

Rubio will also reexamine Syria’s designation as a State Sponsor of Terrorism, enacted in 1979.

“Today’s actions mark the beginning of a new chapter for the people of Syria as they work to shape a future that is safe, stable, and successful,” Rubio added.

The executive order also states that Rubio will determine if the Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act, signed by Trump in 2019, should be suspended. The act sanctioned the former Syrian government for war crimes and designated several Syrian industries, but includes a provision for the president to waive sanctions if certain conditions are met.

Sanctions will remain on Assad, his associates, human rights abusers, traffickers, people linked to Syria’s past proliferation activities, ISIS and Al-Qaeda affiliates, and Iran and its terrorist proxies.

The executive order will also relax some restrictions on exports to Syria.

“This is in an effort to promote and support the country’s path to stability and peace,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters on Monday. “The order will remove sanctions on Syria while maintaining sanctions on the former president Assad and his associates, human rights abusers, drug traffickers, persons linked to chemical weapons activities, ISIS and their affiliates, and Iranian proxies.”

According to the order, “the United States is committed to supporting a Syria that is stable, unified, and at peace with itself and neighbors” and a “Syria that does not offer a safe haven for terrorist organizations and ensures the security of its religious and ethnic minorities will support regional security and prosperity.”

It adds that Syria has been transformed in the last six months since Sharaa’s government took over for Assad.

Sharaa has been accused of grave human rights violations and reportedly plans to impose strict sharia law in the country. But since taking office, he has also sought to reinvent himself as a moderate force for a tolerant Syria.

He has repeatedly denied that he was a terrorist, including in a PBS interview where he said “it’s a political label that carries no truth or credibility.”

Sharaa has worked hard to grow relations with Trump since he took office, including signaling he would be willing to normalize relations with Israel, allow the United States to have access to Syrian oil and gas, and reportedly stating he wants a Trump Tower in Damascus.

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