Elon Musk publicly criticized the Trump administration's proposed 2026 budget cuts to NASA on Friday, calling them "troubling" as tension mounts between the billionaire and the White House he has closely aligned with in recent years.
The proposed budget draft, circulated in Washington this week, outlines a 20% cut to NASA's overall funding, including nearly halving its science programs. According to Ars Technica, the "passback" documents delivered to NASA detail a drop in science funding from $7.5 billion in fiscal year 2025 to $3.9 billion next year, impacting areas such as planetary science, Earth science, and astrophysics.
"I am very much in favor of science, but unfortunately cannot participate in NASA budget discussions, due to SpaceX being a major contractor to NASA," Musk posted on X, the social media platform he owns. The post followed a link from a journalist lamenting the cuts, prompting Musk's terse reaction: "Troubling."
The proposed cuts have triggered sharp backlash from lawmakers. "This massive cut to NASA Science will not stand," said Rep. George Whitesides (D., Calif.), a member of the House Science Committee. "For weeks we have been raising the alarm about a rumored 50 percent cut to NASA's world-leading science efforts. Now we know it is true. I will work alongside my colleagues on the Science Committee to make clear how this would decimate American leadership in space and inflict great damage to NASA centers across the country."
Musk's post drew criticism from followers who questioned his proximity to the administration. "Regretting your vote yet?" one user asked. Others urged him to "tell the Trump Administration they have made a mistake." Another replied, "These are not the cuts we are looking for. Talk to Don."
Musk, CEO of SpaceX and Tesla, serves as a senior adviser at the Department of Government Efficiency, a newly created post in Trump's second administration. However, his influence over space policy has been formally limited by potential conflicts of interest. While he attended Trump's Cabinet meeting Thursday, the president offered a lukewarm endorsement of his role.
"Elon has done a fantastic job. Look, he's sitting here, and I don't care. I don't need Elon for anything other than I happen to like him," Trump said at the meeting.
The comment comes amid growing signs of a strained relationship between the two. Musk has recently clashed with other senior White House officials, including trade adviser Peter Navarro. Meanwhile, reports indicate that Musk's influence within the administration may be waning, with restrictions placed on his role and speculation over how long he will remain in government.
Political observers note that Musk's net worth has taken a significant hit amid broader market volatility and Trump's tariff policies, which include a 10% baseline levy on imported goods and country-specific tariffs as high as 50%. Forbes estimates Musk lost $30.9 billion in personal wealth following the tariff announcement.
"It's only a matter of time before the bromance between Trump and Elon goes south," said Vanity Fair editor Radhika Jones on the outlet's podcast. "It does seem like there are some cracks showing in his relationship with the Trump administration as recently as the last few days."
Zoë Bernard, a contributing editor, added: "It's hard for me to imagine that any of these billionaires that supported Trump are happy right now. Elon Musk included. But I think I don't know what he will do politically, given that he's put all of his chips in the Trump corner at this point."
