Progressive Senator Bernie Sanders, who has held rallies for months as part of his “Fighting Oligarchy” tour, echoed billionaire Elon Musk on President Donald Trump‘s spending proposal, saying on social media the so-called “big, beautiful bill” is a “disgusting abomination.”
Newsweek has reached out to Sanders’ press team and X’s press team on behalf of Musk via email for comment on Wednesday. Newsweek has also reached out to Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune via email on Wednesday.
Why It Matters
Sanders, a Vermont independent who caucuses with the Democrats, has been outspoken against billionaires like Musk and their political influence, calling it a “shadow government,” thus the convergence between Sanders and Musk is notable. Although Sanders has been actively campaigning against the influence of billionaires in American politics, he has at times sided with Musk on a handful of topics, including reducing Pentagon funding.
The Trump-backed reconciliation package passed the House last month following weeks of negotiations in which House Speaker Mike Johnson wrangled votes from the ultraconservative and more centrist factions of the GOP. While Trump praised the measure in its current form, Senate Republicans have made it clear that they plan to make significant changes to it before it passes the upper chamber.
What To Know
On Tuesday, Sanders shared Musk’s X, formerly Twitter, post, adding: “Musk is right: this bill IS a ‘disgusting abomination.'”
His post continued: “We shouldn’t give $664 billion in tax breaks to the 1%. We shouldn’t throw 13.7 million people off of Medicaid. We shouldn’t cut $290 billion from programs to feed the hungry. Let’s defeat this disgusting abomination.”
The bill, which is the centerpiece of Trump’s domestic agenda, including wide-ranging tax cuts and extra money for the military and border security, has been labeled by Musk as a “massive, outrageous, pork-filled,” and a “disgusting abomination.”
Musk served as one of Trump’s top advisors, previously leading the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) cost-cutting task force. On Tuesday, he took to his social media outlet X to denounce the spending bill in a series of posts.
AP Photo/Evan VucciTom Williams/CQ Roll Call via AP Images
He said the bill undermines DOGE’s efforts to cut federal spending and warned that it leaves “American taxpayers saddled with crushingly unsustainable debt.”
The bill is expected to add $2.4 trillion to the U.S. federal debt, according to analysis published by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) on Wednesday.
Musk previously estimated DOGE would save $2 trillion in federal spending. It has achieved $160 billion in cuts and eliminated 20,000 federal jobs—roughly 1 percent of the workforce.
In another post on his social media account, Sanders voiced his agreement with Musk’s stance, touching on its social and programmatic implications, saying: “When Mr. Musk, the wealthiest man alive & major campaign contributor, expresses strong distaste for Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill, Republicans will listen & obey. That means more cuts to Medicaid, nutrition & education. The oligarchs want it ALL. We’re not going to let that happen.”
Other lawmakers have offered partial support to Musk’s stance on the bill, such as Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Georgia Republican and staunch supporter of President Trump. She did vote for the bill but said later that had she known about a section that “strips states of the right to make laws or regulate AI for 10 years…I would have voted NO…”
What People Are Saying
White House Press Secretary Karolina Leavitt said during a Tuesday briefing when asked about Musk’s response: “Look, the president already knows where Elon Musk stood on this bill. It doesn’t change the president’s opinion. This is one big, beautiful bill, and he’s sticking to it.”
Bernie Sanders in a Wednesday X post: “If Musk & his pals are so concerned about increasing the national debt in Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill, why don’t they cut the $664 billion in tax breaks for the 1%; the $420 billion in tax breaks for large profitable corporations; & the $150 billion in increased military spending?”
Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene told reporters on Tuesday: “Well, you know, I have to agree with him [Musk] on one hand. I always love it when Americans are angry at the federal government and express it. I think that should’ve been happening for years now. I mean, we’re $36 trillion in debt for a reason.”
Senate Majority Leader John Thune told reporters on Tuesday: “We obviously respect everything that Elon did with DOGE. On this particular issue, we have a difference of opinion … he’s entitled to that opinion. We’re going to proceed full speed ahead.”
Representative Thomas Massie, a Kentucky Republican, in a tweet this afternoon in reference to Musk’s comments: “He’s right.”
What Happens Next
Trump recently gave Senate Republicans a July 4 deadline to pass the bill and get it to his desk.
