In a blistering post on his social platform Tuesday, former President Donald Trump lambasted Elon Musk after the Tesla and SpaceX CEO vowed to “primary” any lawmakers who back the controversial “Tech Accountability Act.” Musk’s tweet, which warned that “any Senator or Representative voting for this bill will face hostile competition in their next primary,” drew an immediate—and unusually personal—response from Trump: “Elon, your billionaire bully tactics won’t work on me. I’ve beaten worse than you in many things, believe me.”
@elonmusk “Any lawmaker supporting the Tech Accountability Act will face a primary challenge next cycle.” Musk’s primary threat on X
Musk’s tweet referred to the Tech Accountability Act, which would impose strict antitrust measures on social-media giants, mandate algorithmic transparency, and increase federal oversight of user data. Prominent senators, including Elizabeth Warren (D–MA) and Josh Hawley (R–MO), have signaled support, arguing in The New York Times that unchecked platforms threaten democracy.
Trump’s response—“Elon, I respect what you’ve done, but politics isn’t like building rockets”—came just hours after Musk’s initial warning. In a follow-up post, Trump doubled down: “If Musk wants to play politics, he’ll see I know how to win. Maybe he should stick to electric cars and leave elections to the experts.”
@realDonaldTrump “Elon, stick to rockets—politics is for fighters, not Silicon Valley elites.” Trump’s rebuttal on Truth Social
Political analysts see this as an escalation in a growing feud between Trump and Musk. Last month, Musk criticized Trump’s proposed “border control” directive as “ineffective and theater,” according to a CNN report. In turn, Trump called Musk a “totally overrated billionaire” during a rally in Iowa, telling supporters, “He’s not the king of anything but Twitter.”
For his part, Musk has woven himself deeper into politics since acquiring X, formerly Twitter, in 2022. He recently endorsed Republican Vivek Ramaswamy, sparking controversy over tech leaders’ influence on elections. Musk’s antitrust threats mark a new frontier: direct financial intervention against individual lawmakers based on policy votes. Legal experts say this raises complex questions about campaign finance laws and corporate political spending.
@ReutersPolitics “Musk’s pledge to fund primaries against antitrust supporters tests federal campaign rules.” Analysis tweet
Campaign finance attorney Brendan Sullivan told Politico that Musk’s comments “could run afoul of coordination rules if candidates collaborate.” He noted that while individuals are free to spend unlimited sums on primaries, such expenditures must be entirely independent of any candidate’s campaign.
The Tech Accountability Act’s sponsors have not backed down. Senator Warren posted on her X feed, “Big Tech intimidation won’t stop us from protecting American democracy.” Representative Kathy Castor (D–FL), lead sponsor in the House, told CNBC that “if Musk wants to run roughshod over lawmakers, he should know Congress answers to voters, not stock prices.”
@SenWarren “Big Tech intimidation won’t stop us—our democracy depends on accountability.” Warren’s defiant reply
Unsurprisingly, the feud splits along familiar partisan lines. Progressive organizations like Public Citizen applauded Musk’s challenge, seeing any threat to X as desirable pressure on lawmakers. Meanwhile, conservative free-market groups, including the Cato Institute, criticized the bill as overreach, praising Musk for defending innovation.
@CatoInstitute “Tech Accountability Act goes too far—stifles free enterprise.” Cato’s position
Wall Street’s reaction was muted. Shares of Tesla dipped 1.8% after Musk’s primary threat tweet, while major tech stocks pared gains, reflecting investor jitters over potential regulation. The Bloomberg Markets dashboard showed a 0.5% decline in the Nasdaq Composite by close of trading.
Musk, for his part, has remained unapologetic. On his YouTube channel, he defended his stance: “When you build things that people rely on, you get a say in policymaking—just like unions or any other stakeholder. If Congress hurts our ability to innovate, I’ll fight back.”
@elonmusk “Innovation deserves a seat at the table—lawmakers should know that before they vote.” Musk’s YouTube announcement echo
Legal scholars urge caution. Professor Anita Lal of Harvard Law School warned in a Harvard Law Review op-ed that “corporate political engagement can undermine representative democracy if not transparently regulated.” She called for updated campaign-finance reforms to address tech billionaires’ outsized influence.
As both sides prepare for the high-stakes policy fight, grassroots mobilization is already underway. Voter-registration groups are targeting districts of swing lawmakers, urging constituents to contact their representatives about the bill. Under #StandWithCongress, constituents share screenshots of calls to their offices, demanding votes in favor of accountability.
@StandWithCongress “Contact your rep TODAY—tell them to support the Tech Accountability Act.” Grassroots campaign tweet
Whether Trump’s mockery of Musk will resonate with voters is unclear. Polls from Pew Research show mixed views: 52% of Americans say social platforms need more oversight, while 47% see regulation as a threat to free speech. Independent voters, in particular, remain undecided—40% believe Musk’s pledge is “inappropriate for private citizens,” while 38% find it “justified as democratic protest.”
In the weeks ahead, both Trump and Musk are expected to escalate their rhetoric. With primary season looming, the clash between the former president’s political instincts and the billionaire’s disruptive zeal promises to upend Washington’s usual rhythms. As Senator Warren put it, “If Elon wants a real challenge, he should try passing a bill in Congress—then we’ll see who really has the power.”
