Kill Bill, says Musk, as he emerges as alternative power center to Trump

TOI correspondent from US: Elon Musk has not only parted ways with President Trump but is emerging as a political challenger to the MAGA supremo after clashing with him on the so-called Big Beautiful Bill that the tech-tycoon says will bankrupt America."Call your Senator, Call your Congressman, Bankrupting America is NOT ok! KILL the BILL!" Musk said on a second day of attacks on Trump and his legislative flock, planting a banner of revolt in the Republican Party, and emerging as a new power center to challenge Trump. Although Musk is not eligible to run for the White House because he is not US-born, he has allied with Republican Senators who share his alarm over America's mounting debt and who can scupper the bill as it comes to the Senate before the July 4 recess."This spending bill contains the largest increase in the debt ceiling in US history! It is the Debt Slavery Bill," Musk said in one of several posts on a legislation that Trump owns, repurposing a poster from the movie Kill Bill. Musk went on to pin reactions from Fox News to illustrate that his stand on spending cuts to contain the deficit had more support from the rank and file than Trump Republicans had for the BBB. Musk also went on to endorse a proposal by GOP Senator Mike Lee to draft a constitutional amendment to oust every member of Congress whenever inflation exceeds 3 per cent, an idea once mooted by Warren Buffett to eliminate the US deficit.

Trump has been unnaturally quiet about Musk attacks over the past 24 hours, atypically holding back fire although he is usually quick on the draw when attacked. Democrats are rejoicing over Musk attacks on Trump, who, in an ironic twist, reached out to a liberal Democratic senator, Elizabeth Warren (who he has long derided as "pocohontas' and a "radical left loony) to work on legislation to scrap the debt ceiling. "I am very pleased to announce that, after all of these years, I agree with Senator Elizabeth Warren on SOMETHING. The Debt Limit should be entirely scrapped to prevent an Economic catastrophe," Trump said on his social media platform. "@realDonaldTrumpand I agree: the debt limit should be scrapped to prevent an economic catastrophe. Let's pass a bipartisan bill and get rid of it forever," Warren responded, indicating new alignments centering on fiscal policy.