The posts kicked off a kerfuffle within the Republican ranks: Members like Kentucky’s Sen. Rand Paul and Rep. Thomas Massie publicly backed Musk, while GOP leadership quickly went on the defensive, with House Speaker Mike Johnson saying Musk is “terribly wrong” about the bill. Trump has largely, and suspiciously, stayed out of it.

The House-passed megabill represents the president's chief — and potentially only — major legislative priority this Congress. But Musk's opposition suggests that the coalition