Fox News Digital spoke to several GOP senators about Elon Musk's criticisms of President Donald Trump's bill. (Fox News Digital)
"I saw some of the things he's upset over, the subsidies that we're cutting out of energy, you know, the wind and solar. He thinks that we need to do more with energy, and I agree with that, but we can't keep funding it through the federal government. We've got to go out there and do it the right way through private enterprise like he's done it."
Missouri GOP Sen. Schmitt praised Musk’s work at DOGE, saying he has a "ton of respect" for the former DOGE chief and said he should be congratulated for the "incredible thing" he did for the country, finding waste, fraud and abuse in the federal government.
"Everybody’s entitled to their opinions," Schmitt said.
GOP Tennessee Sen. Bill Hagerty told Fox News Digital that by the time primary elections come up in 2026, the country will "already be seeing the benefits of the bill."
"We're going to see more growth and more tax benefits, more revenue benefits, I should say, so, I don't think that the doom and gloom being predicted by many is actually going to manifest itself," Hagerty explained. "In fact, I think we're opening the door to a new golden era, as President Trump likes to say."
CEO of Tesla and SpaceX Elon Musk speaks at the Conservative Political Action Conference at the Gaylord National Resort Hotel and Convention Center on Feb. 20, 2025 in Oxon Hill, Maryland. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
The message was accompanied by an image of Pinocchio sitting on fire and the caption, "LIAR Voted to increase America's DEBT by 5,000,000,000.00"
"Every member of Congress who campaigned on reducing government spending and then immediately voted for the biggest debt increase in history should hang their head in shame! And they will lose their primary next year if it is the last thing I do on this Earth," Musk declared in a post on X on Monday.
On Tuesday morning, as the bill was being debated in the Senate, Trump warned that the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is a "monster that might have to go back and eat Elon."
"DOGE is the monster that might have to go back and eat Elon. Wouldn't that be terrible?" Trump told the media Tuesday morning as he departed for a trip to the Florida Everglades to visit a new migrant detention center. "He gets a lot of subsidies. But, Elon was very upset that the EV mandate is going to be terminated."
His response followed a question regarding whether he would deport Musk, who is originally from South Africa. Trump responded, "I don't know, we'll have to take a look."
Fox News Digital’s Emma Colton contributed to this report.
Andrew Mark Miller is a reporter at Fox News. Find him on Twitter @andymarkmiller and email tips to AndrewMark.Miller@Fox.com.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/were-ignoring-him-gop-senators-react-to-musks-threat-to-primary-supporters-of-trumps-beautiful-bill