'A problem for Trump': Conservative says Musk railing against bill is worst-case scenario

On Tuesday, Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk posted several tweets assailing President Donald Trump's first major domestic policy bill on his X social media platform to his 220 million-plus followers. One conservative journalist is now saying this should be setting off alarm bells inside the White House.

During an interview on MSNBC, Sarah Longwell — who is publisher of anti-Trump conservative site The Bulwark — remarked that Musk's social media rant against the so-called "One Big Beautiful Bill Act" exposed a deep rift in the MAGA universe. And she opined that this rift could prove to be what sinks the bill unless Trump can repair it.

According to Longwell, there are two main elements of the pro-Trump faction of the GOP: First are the anti-immigration "populists" (like podcast host Steve Bannon) who are adamant on protecting earned benefits like Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, while the "tech side" of MAGA are more pro-immigration than the "populist" faction but favor a ruthless Silicon Valley-like approach to governing.

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"This is why what Elon is doing really does throw a wrench in Republican strategy, because their plan was to try to muscle this through without letting public opinion gestate on it," Longwell said. "And with Elon coming out against it, it pits them against each other."

The Bulwark publisher went on to suggest that Musk's multi-tweet outburst on Tuesday – in which he called the legislation a "disgusting abomination" – hinted at an ugly "breakup" between Trump and Musk that's now "spilling out into the public view." And she said the furor over the bill was the biggest "wedge issue" that divides the GOP's voting coalition against itself.

"I think Elon convinced himself of a story about all of this waste, fraud and abuse that he could cut, all of the ways in which they were going to tackle government spending. And I think he kind of staked his reputation on it. And so this is hard for him," she said. "He looks like a fool. He is walking out the door and the only thing that he's lowered is the stock price of Tesla."

"And I think for Trump ... Elon has a big platform on X and he can he has been Trump's muscle on some of these bills. And to now have Elon actively coming out against him, that is a problem for Trump," she continued. "Elon is the one person Trump really didn't want to get crosswise with, which is why they were trying to be, you know, pretty congenial, conciliatory on the way out the door. But I think behind the scenes there was a lot of tough stuff going on. And I think this, like I said, that fragile coalition, I think has broken apart."

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Watch the full segment below, or by clicking this link.

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