US tech billionaire Elon Musk has made public his first rift with President Donald Trump, slamming his tax and spending legislation as a “disgusting abomination.”
Mere days after departing his role in the Trump administration, Musk launched another scathing critique of the so-called “One Big Beautiful Bill” on Tuesday.
“I’m sorry, but I just can’t stand it anymore,” Musk wrote on X. “This massive, outrageous, pork-filled Congressional spending bill is a disgusting abomination. Shame on those who voted for it: you know you did wrong. You know it.”
The bill legislation would prolong the 2017 Trump-era tax cuts and direct additional funding toward administration priorities, such as allocating $46.5 billion for southern border wall construction. However, analysts note this would require raising the national debt limit by $4 trillion to finance these measures.
“It will massively increase the already gigantic budget deficit to $2.5 trillion (!!!) and burden America citizens with crushingly unsustainable debt,” Musk said adding, “Congress is making America bankrupt.”
The House of Representatives narrowly passed the One Big Beautiful Bill in May by a tight vote of 215 to 214.
Only two Republicans — Thomas Massie of Kentucky and Warren Davidson of Ohio — broke with party ranks to vote against the bill.
Musk quickly gained backing from Massie, who affirmed “He’s right” in a post on X.
However, House Speaker Mike Johnson countered, explaining that during his Monday call with Musk, he emphasized how the bill fulfills electoral promises while locking in major, lasting fiscal cuts.
Trump has previously characterized Republican opponents as “grandstanders” and pressured them to fall in line. Taking to Truth Social on Monday, he disputed claims about the legislation, saying, “So many false statements are being made about ‘THE ONE, BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL.’”
While the White House noted Musk’s opposition, press secretary Karoline Leavitt affirmed their unchanged stance, saying, “The president was already aware of Elon Musk’s position. His view remains—this is one big, beautiful bill, and that’s final.”
Musk, who was among Trump’s largest campaign contributors, recently stepped down from overseeing the White House’s “Department of Government Efficiency” (DoGE) –tasked with slashing excess regulations and cutting wasteful expenditures.
He has argued that the Republican bill will undermine Doge’s work and drive the US further into debt.
