Fetterman Criticizes Dems for Suddenly Supporting Musk Amid Trump Controversy

Democratic Senator John Fetterman sparked fresh controversy within his own party Thursday after publicly criticizing fellow Democrats for rallying behind Elon Musk in the ongoing feud with former President Donald Trump. The unusual alliance comes as the Tesla and SpaceX CEO has become an outspoken critic of Trump's flagship legislative proposal, the so-called "big, beautiful bill," and has even called for Trump’s impeachment.

The President had heralded the sprawling legislation as a cornerstone of his administration, boasting of provisions aimed at bolstering border security, ramping up American energy production, and enacting substantial tax cuts. Despite strong backing from Trump and Republican leadership, the bill’s path through Congress has been anything but smooth: Republicans in the Senate are splintering, with several lawmakers—some of whom previously helped shepherd the bill through the House—publicly voicing their opposition to its current iteration. Notably, every Democrat in the House voted against the measure, underscoring stark partisan divides.

In recent days, Elon Musk has taken to X, the social media platform he owns, to lambast the spending plan in a series of fiery posts. Musk described the bill as a "massive, outrageous, pork-filled Congressional spending bill" and condemned those who supported it. His strident criticism set off alarms within the GOP, disrupting efforts to unify Republicans behind the legislation and giving Democrats an opportunity to capitalize on the disarray.

Yet, the swift embrace of Musk by Democratic leaders has raised eyebrows, attracting accusations of hypocrisy. Fetterman wasted little time in highlighting this shift, noting, "The Dems, we've been dumping all over Musk and vandalizing Teslas or whatever, and now, suddenly, we might be more back into him." The senator’s comments allude to a fraught relationship between Democrats and Musk, which has included protests outside Tesla dealerships and even instances of violence against Tesla properties—a string of attacks that the Trump-era Justice Department classified as "domestic terrorism."

Emphasizing the inconsistency, Fetterman added, "It wasn't that long ago that Tesla was like the virtue-signaling kind of accessory for Dems. I would never want to vandalize Teslas, and the ‘big, beautiful bill’ is wrong for America. So, from my perspective, I've just tried to be consistent through that."

Others within the party appear to be weighing the merits of working alongside Musk for strategic reasons. Representative Ro Khanna of California acknowledged that Democrats should consider collaborating with Musk to defeat Trump’s legislation, citing a shared objective even if prior relations have been strained.

Meanwhile, Republican lawmakers seized on the perceived flip-flop, with Rep. Tim Burchett remarking, "It's kind of ironic to me that, a week ago, the Democrats hated Elon Musk's guts … and now they're basing everything they have on him." The heated exchanges reflect the high political stakes surrounding the spending bill, as well as the complicated calculus both parties face in shaping alliances on Capitol Hill.

As the national debt continues to climb—now exceeding $36 trillion—and the legislative battle rages on, the question remains whether Democrats’ newfound alliance with Elon Musk will prove lasting, or if it is merely a temporary truce born of political necessity.