Elon Musk wants Congress to ‘kill’ Trump’s ‘One Big Beautiful Bill.’ Dan Meuser, Trump’s preferred choice for Pa. governor, disagrees

U.S. Rep. Dan Meuser (R., Pa.), an staunch ally of President Donald Trump who may be eyeing a bid for Pennsylvania governor, disagrees with billionaire Elon Musk’s scathing criticisms of the Republican-led “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” which has been championed by the president.

This week, Musk has unleashed an intense campaign against the spending bill, which is now in the hands of the U.S. Senate after the U.S. House narrowly passed it last month.

The bill would enact cuts to Medicaid and food assistance, but Musk, the world’s richest person, focused his ire on the bill for spending too much and raising the deficit.

Musk called the legislation, which includes tax breaks and significant spending for border and national security, a “massive, outrageous, pork-filled” bill and a “disgusting abomination.”

He added: “Shame on those who voted for it: you know you did wrong. You know it.”

According to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, the legislation as it stands would cut trillions in taxes and reduce federal spending outlays by nearly $1.3 trillion, but it would increase deficits by $2.4 trillion over the next decade, the Associated Press reported. The White House rejects the CBO’s analysis of the bill.

On Wednesday, Musk called for the drafting of a new bill and said: “Call your Senator, Call your Congressman, Bankrupting America is NOT ok! KILL the BILL.” Later, he posted a picture of Uma Thurman in Kill Bill.

Meuser just received the president’s hypothetical endorsement, should the congressman’s shadow campaign for Pennsylvania governor eventually become a reality. And he likely gained some political points with the president Wednesday when he came to the defense of the passage of the “One Big Beautiful Bill.”

“Here’s why I disagree with Elon,” Meuser said in a statement to The Inquirer. “However, I do understand his frustrations. We’d like to solve all of our issues with one big beautiful bill, but this bill is not the last bill we’re going to pass to create growth or improve our fiscal soundness — but it is a very good start. It’s the beginning, not the end. There’s much more work to do.”

Meuser noted in his statement that “we’re barely five months into the Trump administration.”

“If this were a football game, this bill doesn’t put us in the end-zone — but it gets us 30 yards up the field. It’s a big step in the right direction. It’s a big play,” he said. “But to not pass this bill — with its tax relief, border security measures, energy initiatives, and real savings — would be a mistake. There’s more work to do, but this is progress.”

Other members of Pennsylvania’s GOP delegation in the House — all 10 of whom voted in support of the bill — did not respond to The Inquirer’s request for comment on Musk’s remarks.

U.S. Rep. Scott Perry (R., Pa.), however, weighed in on X Tuesday evening and said Musk is “right to call out House Leadership” on this bill, despite voting in support of the legislation last month.

“I wish I had a nickel for every time the [Freedom Caucus] sounded the alarm and nobody listened, only to find out the hard way we were right all along,” he wrote. “We expect MASSIVE improvements from the Senate before it gets back to the House.”

Musk’s remarks follow his exit from the Trump administration, where he led the Department of Government Efficiency, orchestrating a significant upheaval of the federal government, including its workforce, and became of Trump’s closest advisers. He said during an interview with CBS News late last month that the bill “undermines the work that the DOGE team is doing.”

It remains unclear what kind of damage — if any — Musk’s comments will do to his relationships with the president and other Republicans, but his remarks are likely the biggest test of his political clout yet as he faces opposition from some of his typical supporters.

Meuser has been one of DOGE’s most vocal backers, previously expressing to The Inquirer his desire to be involved with the commission in the days following the 2024 election and calling Musk “Tony Stark,” while noting the excitement that Musk brought to Trump’s presidential campaign trail in Pennsylvania. In recent months he has said he appreciates what the billionaire is “trying to do,” serving as an “auditor” for the government.

National Republicans and the state party are also emphasizing their support for the bill in the aftermath of Musk’s criticism.

A White House spokesperson referred The Inquirer to press secretary Karoline Leavitt’s remarks during Tuesday’s news briefing, where she said Trump “already knows” where Musk stands on the bill.

“It doesn’t change the president’s opinion,” Leavitt said. “This is one big, beautiful bill, and he’s sticking to it.”

James Markley, a spokesperson for the Pennsylvania GOP, said in a statement, “This bill is a no brainer,” and touted the bill’s various tax cuts and the reversal of “chronic overspending.”

“Pennsylvania overwhelmingly voted for President Trump to tackle these issues for all Americans, and that’s exactly what he’s doing. Promises made, promises kept,” Markley said.

Markley did not specifically address Musk’s comments.

And House Speaker Mike Johnson (R., La.) told reporters Tuesday: “My friend Elon is terribly wrong.”

Musk’s comments also present an interesting dichotomy in his public-facing relationship with the president.

Last Friday, Musk told reporters during a news conference about his exit from DOGE that he plans to stay in Trump’s circle as a “friend and adviser” willing to give the president advice when needed, a concept Trump seemed to appreciate.

Fast-forward: A few days later, Musk retweeted an article from the libertarian Reason magazine, originally posted by Sen. Rand Paul (R., Ky.), another opponent of the legislation, positing himself against the president.

The article is titled: “It’s Rand Paul and Elon Musk vs. Donald Trump over the ‘Big Beautiful Bill.’”

This story has been updated to include a social media post from U.S. Rep. Scott Perry.