Elon Musk trashes Trump's big bill as a 'disgusting abomination'
The Tesla CEO and Trump ally bashed the president's key legislative priority as "pork-filled"
Tesla (TSLA) CEO Elon Musk lambasted President Trump’s megabill in a string of social media posts on Tuesday afternoon, a sign that a once-formidable alliance is crashing on rocky terrain.
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Over the course of minutes on X, Musk fiercely attacked the GOP domestic policy bill that’s making its way through Congress. He exited his role as a special government employee on Friday with a send-off from Trump.
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“This massive, outrageous, pork-filled Congressional spending bill is a disgusting abomination,” he said in an X post. “Shame on those who voted for it: you know you did wrong. You know it.”
He followed up in two separate posts that the legislation would “burden” the U.S. with “crushingly unsustainable debt.” He added: “Congress is making America bankrupt.”
The White House dug in to defend the legislation. “Look, the president already knows where Elon Musk stood on this bill. It doesn’t change the president’s opinion,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said. “This is one big beautiful bill, and he’s sticking to it.”
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for additional comment.
This isn’t the first time that Musk criticized Trump’s biggest domestic priority. In a CBS News (PARA) interview that aired over the weekend, the Tesla CEO also assailed the bill as an expense that the U.S. can’t afford.
“I think a bill can be big or it could be beautiful. But I don’t know if it could be both,” Musk said, referring to Trump’s frequent description of the legislation.
The bill would renew a suite of tax cuts set to expire at the end of the year, including a set of research and investment-related tax deductions for businesses. Border enforcement provisions are also wrapped into the bill, which is partly paid for by eliminating clean energy tax credits and social safety net cuts.
The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office recently projected the bill would add $3.8 trillion to the national debt over a decade.
Republicans in Congress are attempting to speed the legislation to Trump’s desk by July 4. But first, they must overcome narrow margins in both chambers and clashing demands about the size and scope of the megabill.