Billionaire Elon Musk publicly criticized Donald Trump’s signature "One Big, Beautiful Bill Act," warning it would "increase the budget deficit" and undermine his own government efficiency drive. In a CBS interview, Musk shook his head: "Frankly, I was disappointed... It undermines DOGE’s work."
The rare rebuke from Trump’s former ally, who donated $250M to his 2024 campaign shows some amount of growing friction over fiscal policy.
Trump’s sprawling legislation promises tax relief and spending cuts but faces bipartisan fire for potentially ballooning the deficit by $4 trillion over a decade. Musk dryly noted, "A bill can be big, or beautiful. I don’t know if both." Critics warn it could gut healthcare while enriching corporations, contradicting Musk’s DOGE mandate to slash bureaucratic waste.
Trump’s deputy chief Stephen Miller swiftly countered on Musk’s platform X: "This isn’t an annual budget bill," arguing DOGE’s cuts require separate legislation. The dismissal highlights Musk’s diminished influence since stepping back as DOGE chief in April, a role where he fired 50,000 federal workers but faced accusations of "domineering" mismanagement.
Musk called his efficiency department a "whipping boy," blaming DC’s "entrenched bureaucracy" for stalled reforms. Yet insiders cite his political naivety and confrontational style as equal obstacles. "The federal situation is worse than I realized," Musk admitted to the Washington Post, calling D.C. reforms "an uphill battle."