Like a Tarantino Movie: Trump and Musk Turn on Each Other

The partnership between the world’s richest man, Elon Musk, and former U.S. President Donald Trump hasn’t just frayed — it’s turned into a full-blown duel. After walking away from what he mockingly dubbed the “Department of Government Efficiency,” Musk launched a fierce critique of Trump’s budget compromise bill, which the former president had proudly branded as a “Big, Beautiful Bill.” Musk, for his part, called it the “Big, Ugly Bill.”

The bill narrowly passed the House of Representatives, where Republicans hold a majority with 220 seats, by a single vote. During the May 22 vote, Democrats opposed the bill as expected, but two Republicans — Thomas Massie and Warren Davidson — also voted against it. Andy Harris, chair of the hardline right-wing Freedom Caucus, was present but didn’t vote, and two other Republican lawmakers were absent altogether.

Trump took aim at Thomas Massie, a leading voice among the GOP’s libertarian and fiscally conservative wing. Massie, known for his consistency, was notably the only Republican in 2021 to vote against a $1 billion aid package for Israel’s Iron Dome missile defense system.

Trump’s “Big, Beautiful Bill” has also drawn opposition from within Senate Republicans — including Senator Rand Paul, a fellow libertarian fiscal hawk like Massie. Republicans currently hold a 53-seat majority in the 100-member Senate. Interestingly, Musk’s objections align closely with these fiscal conservatives, though they primarily object to specific elements that clash with their ideological principles rather than the bill in its entirety.

Fiscally conservative Republicans broadly advocate for lower taxes, reduced government spending, and a scaled-down regulatory state. Extending Trump-era corporate tax cuts for another decade fits neatly within their worldview. But they argue that raising the debt ceiling by $4 trillion will balloon the federal deficit and drive up national debt.

Populist Republicans, meanwhile, object to provisions in the bill that could strip millions of Americans of healthcare and food assistance. Senator Josh Hawley, for instance, warned that the bill could alienate Trump’s core base: working-class white Americans. He described limiting access to programs like Medicaid and SNAP as “morally wrong and politically suicidal.” Populists also oppose offsetting tax revenue losses from corporate breaks by slashing social programs.

One point of broader criticism: the ease with which many lawmakers approve soaring military budgets while aggressively backing cuts to domestic programs. Fiscal hawks like Paul and Massie argue that tax cuts should be balanced by trimming military spending or reducing funding for the U.S.-Mexico border wall — a stance that has earned them enemies among neoconservatives, mainstream hawks, and pro-Israel lobby groups.

This internal GOP rift over the 1,116-page bill resembles the parable of blind men describing an elephant. Each faction of Trump’s coalition sees parts of the bill they find beneficial — and parts they find dangerous. The result is a messy blend of overlapping, clashing, and outright contradictory interests.

If the bill passes the Senate and returns to the House unchanged, its fate is far from guaranteed. Facing intense pressure from their base, some Republican lawmakers now claim they overlooked key elements in the bill and are pledging to vote it down.

Unless significant revisions are made to satisfy both ideological camps, Trump’s broad coalition may not just fracture — it could explode.

Think of the standoff in Reservoir Dogs, Tarantino’s early ’90s classic, where a group of partners all point guns at each other in a standoff that ends in mutual destruction. That’s the vibe around Trump’s so-called “Big, Beautiful Bill.”

As for the Democrats? They’re leaning back and watching the Trump–Musk showdown — and the chaos in the MAGA camp — like it’s the best movie in town. The big question now: Will the film end in bloodshed or with a truce? And can Trump reconcile these warring factions, or will he simply walk away?