Topline
Elon Musk said he is “disappointed” with President Donald Trump’s “big, beautiful” bill passed by the House last week, offering his most direct criticism of a signature White House policy after recently stepping back from his work as the leader of the government’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
Elon Musk said he was disappointed with the Trump-backed “Big Beautiful Bill.”
Key Facts
Musk said: “I was disappointed to see the massive spending bill, frankly, which increases the budget deficit, not just decreases it,” in an interview excerpt released by CBS on Tuesday night.
The billionaire added that the expansive budget bill also “undermines the work that the DOGE team is doing.”
The billionaire told CBS that he thinks “a bill can be big or it can be beautiful, but I don’t know if it can be both,” before adding that it was his “personal opinion.”
Musk’s comments are the most stark and public criticism of a piece of legislation championed by Trump, although the president has not reacted yet.
The excerpt released by the network is part of a longer interview, which will air on June 1 during the CBS Sunday Morning show.
How Much Is The ‘big Beautiful Bill’ Expected To Add To The U.s. Deficit?
The “big beautiful bill” is expected to add around $3.3 trillion to the federal debt over the next 10 years, according to an estimate published by the nonpartisan Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget. The fiscal watchdog group warned this number could rise by an additional $5.2 trillion if lawmakers “ultimately extend temporary provisions.”
Tangent
Musk’s comments criticizing Trump’s signature policy agenda come at a time when the billionaire has taken a step back from leading DOGE. While addressing the Qatar Economic Forum last week, Musk said he plans to cut back his political donations significantly. Musk said he is “going to do a lot less in the future,” and when asked why, the billionaire responded, “I think I’ve done enough.” The Tesla CEO spent more than $200 million to back Trump in the presidential election last year and quickly emerged as an influential figure in the president’s orbit after he took office. However, Musk’s heavy spending appeared to backfire in the Wisconsin Supreme Court race last month, as the liberal candidate Susan Crawford managed to beat her conservative rival convincingly— a result that some saw as a referendum on Musk. Last month, Musk told Tesla investors that his work with DOGE would “drop significantly” starting in May, and he would dedicate more of his time to running the carmaker.
Key Background
The “big beautiful bill” narrowly cleared a House vote last week after Trump personally stepped in and warned the GOP’s conservative fiscal hawks against tanking his signature agenda. The bill eventually passed with a narrow margin of 215-214, with all Democrats and two Republicans voting against it. The president hailed the House’s passage of the bill, saying it was “arguably the most significant piece of Legislation that will ever be signed,” in a Truth Social post. The president touted provisions in the bill that would help fulfill key campaign promises, including eliminating taxes on tips and overtime pay, along with more border security funding. The bill has now moved to the Senate.
Further Reading
Elon Musk says he’s “disappointed” by Trump’s “big, beautiful bill” and what it means for DOGE (CBS News)
Trump’s Signature Policy Agenda Passes House After Last-Minute Revisions Including SALT Cap Increase (Forbes)
