WASHINGTON ― Days after leaving his role in the White House, Elon Musk excoriated President Donald Trump’s tax and domestic policy bill as a “disgusting abomination,” escalating his criticism of the president’s signature legislation over concerns that it will increase the deficit.
Musk’s pointed June 3 remarks came after Trump held a friendly send-off for the world’s richest man in the Oval Office last Friday and as the second-term Republican president is working to push what he’s called his “big, beautiful bill” through the Senate.
“I’m sorry, but I just can’t stand it anymore,” Musk said in a post on his social media platform X. “This massive, outrageous, pork-filled Congressional spending bill is a disgusting abomination. Shame on those who voted for it: you know you did wrong. You know it.” The bill, which cleared the House last month with only Republican support, would extend Trump’s 2017 tax cuts, implement new tax breaks for tipped wages and overtime, overhaul Medicaid and food stamps, beef up border security and significantly increase military spending. Republican leaders are trying to pass the Senate bill through a filibuster-proof budget process known as reconciliation.
The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimated the bill would add $3.8 trillion to the national debt over the next 10 years.
“It will massively increase the already gigantic budget deficit to $2.5 trillion (!!!) and burden America citizens with crushingly unsustainable debt,” Musk said in a follow-up post on X. “Congress is making America bankrupt.”
Musk’s remarks spoil his friendly send-off
Musk, CEO of Tesla, SpaceX and the social media platform X, left the White House as a senior adviser last week after leading the Department of Government Efficiency for the past four months. Before signing off, Musk said in an interview with CBS Sunday Morning that he was “disappointed” with Trump’s reconciliation bill, arguing it will grow the deficit and “undermines” DOGE, which has been working to drastically cut federal government spending.