Tech entrepreneur Elon Musk has voiced strong criticism of US President Donald Trump’s latest tax and spending bill, despite having played a key role in Trump’s 2024 re-election campaign.
In an interview with CBS Sunday Morning, Musk said he was “disappointed” by the legislation recently passed by the US House of Representatives. Trump’s self-described “big, beautiful” bill proposes multi-trillion-dollar tax cuts and a substantial increase in defence expenditure. It now awaits approval in the Senate.
“I was disappointed to see the massive spending bill, frankly,” said Musk, who was earlier appointed as head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), the advisory team responsible for recommending cost-cutting measures in federal spending.
Musk stated that the bill “undermines” the work he and his team had done to reduce government expenditure, stating that Trump’s plan further increases the budget deficit.
It is estimated that the proposed legislation could increase the US budget deficit by approximately $600 billion in the next fiscal year. Musk further expressed concern that the bill conflicts with the objectives of DOGE, which had aimed to save up to $1 trillion by cancelling unnecessary government contracts and reducing workforce numbers.
“I think a bill can be big or beautiful. I don’t know if it can be both,” he remarked.
The legislation, a cornerstone of Trump’s economic agenda, promises to extend tax cuts from his first term in 2017, increase defence spending, raise the debt ceiling to $4 trillion, and provide funds for mass deportation initiatives. The bill has faced significant opposition from within Trump’s own Republican Party, with lawmakers divided over its fiscal implications.
Musk’s remarks reflect a growing rift between the billionaire and the former president. Though he contributed over $250 million to Trump’s 2024 campaign and took up a leading role in budget reform at the beginning of the presidency, Musk has since pledged to step back from politics and scale down his involvement in DOGE.
As of April, DOGE claims to have saved around $175 billion. However, questions remain regarding the transparency and accuracy of these figures.
Musk, who has faced backlash — including protests, boycotts, and declining sales at his electric car company Tesla — due to his role in federal downsizing, stood by his decisions: “I did what needed to be done,” he said.
He also confirmed that he intends to focus on Tesla for at least another five years and will reduce his political spending in the future.