Elon Musk, the billionaire CEO of Tesla, SpaceX, and the social media platform X, has sharply criticized President Donald Trump’s tax and domestic policy bill, calling it a “disgusting abomination.”
Musk’s remarks, made on June 3, came after his departure from the White House, where he had served as a senior adviser for the Department of Government Efficiency.
Musk’s Criticism of the Bill
Musk’s criticism of the bill follows the House of Representatives passing it with only Republican support. The bill proposes to extend Trump’s 2017 tax cuts, introduce new tax breaks for tipped wages and overtime, overhaul Medicaid and food stamps, increase border security, and boost military spending.
The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates that the bill would add $3.8 trillion to the national debt over the next 10 years.
In his social media post, Musk expressed his dismay over the potential increase in the budget deficit, writing:
“It will massively increase the already gigantic budget deficit to $2.5 trillion (!!!) and burden American citizens with crushingly unsustainable debt.” He went on to say, “Congress is making America bankrupt.”
Musk’s Departure and Ongoing Disagreement with Trump
Musk had a friendly send-off from Trump in the Oval Office just days before his comments. Despite their relatively warm relationship, Musk expressed disappointment in the bill, particularly for its fiscal irresponsibility.
Musk argued that it would lead to further deficit growth and undermine his advocacy for reducing federal government spending through DOGE, an initiative to cut wasteful government expenditures.
Trump, meanwhile, had praised Musk during their final meeting, calling him “one of the greatest business leaders and innovators the world has ever produced.” However, the warm remarks seem to have been overshadowed by Musk’s growing concerns over the economic impact of the bill.
Criticism from Republican Senators
Musk’s concerns are not unique. Some Republican senators, including Rand Paul of Kentucky and Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, have also raised alarms over the potential for further government waste and the massive increase in debt proposed by the bill. Rand Paul, in particular, echoed Musk’s criticism, stating:
“I agree with Elon. We have both seen the massive waste in government spending and we know another $5 trillion in debt is a huge mistake.”
Paul has even gone so far as to say he will vote against the bill unless changes are made, which has prompted backlash from Trump. The former president took to Truth Social to criticize Paul, calling him a “loser” and accusing him of not offering any constructive ideas.
The White House Pushback
In response to concerns about the bill’s deficit impact, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt defended the legislation.
She accused critics like Paul and Johnson of “not having their facts together” and insisted that the CBO’s projections were wrong, despite the office’s nonpartisan status.
Leavitt went on to say, “We are very confident in our own economic analyses of this bill,” claiming it would produce $1.6 trillion in savings.
Leavitt also dismissed the CBO’s role in providing fiscal projections, suggesting that the organization is “partisan and political,” run by analysts with Democratic leanings.