Elon Musk took aim at the sweeping tax and spending legislation championed by President Donald Trump, calling the bill a “disgusting abomination” and warning that it would significantly worsen the nation’s fiscal outlook.
“I’m sorry, but I just can’t stand it anymore,” Musk declared on X, the social media platform he owns.
Blasting lawmakers for approving the measure, Musk said, “This massive, outrageous, pork-filled Congressional spending bill is a disgusting abomination.”
He added, “Shame on those who voted for it: you know you did wrong. You know it.” Musk had only recently stepped down from leading the Trump administration’s DOGE initiative to reduce federal spending.
In a subsequent post, Musk predicted the bill “will massively increase the already gigantic budget deficit to $2.5 trillion (!!!) and burden America citizens with crushingly unsustainable debt.”
His public rebuke came shortly after a CBS News interview aired in which he argued that the legislation pushed by the Republican president “undermines” DOGE’s original goals.
The White House dismissed Musk’s criticism without hesitation.
“Look, the president already knows where Elon Musk stood on this bill,” said press secretary Karoline Leavitt during a Tuesday briefing when asked about Musk’s online remarks.
Leavitt continued, “It doesn’t change the President’s opinion. This is one big, beautiful bill, and he’s sticking to it.”
She reaffirmed the administration’s position that claims of the bill inflating the deficit were unfounded.
Leavitt also went after the Congressional Budget Office, which projected the measure would boost the deficit by $3.8 trillion over a decade, accusing the agency of harboring anti-Republican bias.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, who helped shepherd the legislation through the lower chamber, defended the package when asked about Musk’s comments.
“With all due respect, my friend Elon is terribly wrong about the one big beautiful bill,” said Johnson, R-La.
He doubled down on his support in a post on X, promising that Congress would pass a follow-up rescissions package to lock in savings associated with DOGE.
Musk, responding to a user’s post criticizing GOP lawmakers, fired back with a warning: “In November next year, we fire all politicians who betrayed the American people.”
Though some Republicans stood by the bill, others publicly aligned with Musk’s assessment, including Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky.
Massie, who was one of just two House Republicans to oppose the measure, responded to Musk’s post with, “He’s right.”
“Simple math,” Musk replied to him.
Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, also voiced support for Musk’s concern over deficit spending.
“Congress has hollowed out America’s middle class through reckless deficit spending and the inflation it causes,” Lee posted on X.
“The Uniparty propels this vicious cycle, and must be stopped in its tracks.”
President Trump, earlier that day, took to social media to attack Sen. Rand Paul after the senator criticized a section of the bill that authorizes a massive debt ceiling increase.
Trump fired back, saying Paul didn’t grasp that the plan would bring “tremendous GROWTH.”
Paul later responded on X, writing, “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. We can and must do better,” the senator posted.
Musk reacted to Paul’s post with an American flag emoji.
Although Musk was the top donor to Trump’s 2024 re-election campaign—pouring over $250 million into it—his time leading DOGE included sharp disagreements with the administration, especially over tariffs, and clashes with figures like trade advisor Peter Navarro and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.
{Matzav.com}