Tesla CEO Elon Musk on Tuesday sharply criticized a sweeping Republican budget bill championed by President Donald Trump, calling it a "disgusting abomination" and warning it would inflate the federal deficit by $2.5 trillion. The attack came just days after Musk ended his stint in Washington leading the Department of Government Efficiency.
"This massive, outrageous, pork-filled Congressional spending bill is a disgusting abomination," Musk wrote on X, formerly Twitter. "Shame on those who voted for it: you know you did wrong. You know it." In a follow-up post, he warned that the bill "will massively increase the already gigantic budget deficit to $2.5 trillion (!!!) and burden American citizens with crushingly unsustainable debt."
The legislation, dubbed the "One Big Beautiful Bill," narrowly passed the House last month in a 215-214 vote. It extends Trump's 2017 tax cuts, eliminates taxes on tips and overtime pay, imposes cuts to Medicaid and food assistance, and raises the debt ceiling by $4 trillion. The White House has sought to offset part of the spending through $9.4 billion in cuts proposed by Musk's former agency.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt dismissed Musk's remarks, telling reporters: "Look, the president already knows where Elon Musk stood on this bill. It doesn't change the president's opinion. This is one big beautiful bill, and he's sticking to it."
Musk's departure from the administration came amid reports of internal tension and unmet goals. While he was brought in to deliver $2 trillion in spending cuts, critics noted his actual reductions fell far short. During his tenure, Musk had also publicly expressed frustration with elements of Trump's economic policies, including tariffs.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R., Ga.), who voted in favor of the legislation, expressed regret Tuesday, writing on X that she was unaware of a provision on pages 278-279 that would "strip states of the right to make laws or regulate AI for 10 years." She added, "I am adamantly OPPOSED to this... and I would have voted NO if I had known this was in there."
Senate Republicans remain divided over the measure's debt ceiling increase and cuts to social programs. Sen. Rand Paul (R., Ky.) opposed the bill, prompting Trump to accuse him of failing to understand its growth potential. Meanwhile, Rep. Thomas Massie (R., Ky.), one of only two House Republicans who voted against the bill, backed Musk's post, replying "He's right." Musk responded simply: "Simple math."
