Elon Musk revived his Latin rallying cry Monday, posting “VOX POPULI, VOX DEI” — the voice of the people is the voice of God — after voicing his displeasure over President Donald Trump’s “Big, Beautiful Bill.”
What Happened: The Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA) and SpaceX chief said more than 80% of 1.9 million respondents backed his June 5 poll seeking a new party “that actually represents the 80 percent in the middle,” and warned that, if Congress approves the spending package, he will launch an “America Party” the next day.
Musk labeled the $5 trillion deficit-ballooning plan an “insane spending bill” and derided both major parties as the “Porky Pig Party,” promising to fund primary challengers against any lawmaker who votes yes.
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act pairs $3.8 trillion in tax cuts with $1.2 trillion in social-program reductions, a combination the Congressional Budget Office says will deepen the deficit by $3.3 trillion over ten years. Musk is certain that the bill will “destroy millions of jobs” and provide “handouts to industries of the past.”
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Musk’s criticism is also aimed at the sections of the bill that propose tax hikes on a range of energy projects. These include solar, battery, geothermal, wind, and nuclear energy projects. Tesla has significant interests in both battery energy storage systems and solar photovoltaics.
Why It Matters: Musk’s distress marks the latest rupture with Trump, whom he once advised and backed financially during the 2024 campaign. The billionaire’s feed over the past 24 hours slammed the bill as “political suicide,” reposted charts on rising interest costs, and celebrated bipartisan critics like Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.).
Trump’s campaign defended the measure Monday night, arguing the tax breaks will “unleash American energy,” while the White House insisted cuts to green subsidies and Medicaid are necessary to curb runaway deficits.
It is also interesting that Musk had used the same phrase when restoring Trump’s X account in 2022, “Vox populi, vox Dei.”
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