Twitter owner Elon Musk taunted Senate leaders Chuck Schumer and Mitch McConnell Wednesday after a poll he conducted showed sharp opposition to a proposed $1.7-trillion government spending bill.
"The public has spoken," Musk wrote, saying they were "overwhelmingly against" the package.
In addition to voting in the Twitter survey, many users commented their disapproval and, in some instances, unbridled rage at Congress for trying to pass the massive bill.
Musk’s political enemies, however, took the poll as another opportunity to mock Musk and ridicule his own disapproval for the legislation. Like any Twitter poll, the survey was not a true indicator of the public's opinion on the subject – for one, non-Americans could vote in the poll – although it's unclear whether the spending plan will get a thumbs-up in more scientific polling.
OMNIBUS SPENDING BILL RIPPED AS ATTEMPT TO BRAND GOP AS CHRISTMAS ‘SCROOGE’
The billionaire Twitter owner posted his latest Twitter poll on Tuesday evening, which asked his 122.6 million users, "Should Congress approve the $1.7 trillion omnibus spending bill?" A whopping 71.2% voted "No."
The omnibus spending bill features a $1.7 trillion price tag and is 4,155 pages long, and its sharpest critics have called out the process to pass it as rushed and a disservice to the public.
Musk even criticized the bill in a subsequent tweet, stating, "I’m in favor of a small spending bill to keep things running, but common sense suggests that it be the least amount required through the holidays. Railroading through a giant spending bill that almost no one has read is unlikely to be in the best interests of the people."
Musk’s poll received a raft of both supportive and negative responses from users. Conservative users and Musk’s supporters applauded the poll and agreed with the anti-omnibus sentiment.
Conservative author Jim Hanson tweeted, "We will have to drag these bloated hogs from the trough. Term limits time."
HOUSE REPUBLICANS THREATEN GOP SENATORS' PET PROJECTS OVER SPENDING BILL VOTE
Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., a vocal opponent, expressed solidarity with Musk’s anti-"giant spending bill" sentiment, tweeting, "Preach."
Conservative activist Scott Presler slammed the lawmakers looking to pass the bill, writing, "No Member of Congress should be able to vote on a bill without having read every word of the proposed legislation."
Breitbart News journalist Alana Mastrangelo replied to the poll, saying, "Only bots vote yes to this."
Former Michigan congressman Justin Amash tweeted, "Hell no. Even setting aside the undoubted awfulness of the measures within the bill, how can Congress ethically approve something they absolutely will not have time to review? It’s a breach of fiduciary duty to the American people."
Musk’s critics came out of the woodwork over his tweets, though. Liberal commentator Wajahat Ali referenced one of Musk’s other recent Twitter polls with his reply, asking, "Didn't the public tell you to step down as head of Twitter as well?"
Liberal journalist Amanda Taylor put out a sneering response, tweeting, "Guaranteed no one voting in that poll read the spending bill. Yet, you call for them to vote against it after you made this statement?"
Public health activist Alexandra Hunt blasted Musk, tweeting, "You’re really not in a position to be handing out spending advice right now."
Jezebel editor-in-chief made a similar dig on the billionaire, tweeting, "I’m sure they’re gonna listen to the guy who borrowed money to spend $44 billion on a company that’s not worth that at all and then lost a vote as to whether he should run it."
Condé-Nast legal affairs editor Luke Zaleski sniped, "Elon Musk is a rightwing media mogul with massive conflicts of interests as a monopolist and businessman in various fields that require government oversight and regulation who is openly—and not so openly—utilizing his giant social-media platform to serve his own personal purposes."
Left-wing journalist Josh Marshall replied to Musk, saying, "Good lord you’re such a huge dumbs***."
