Musk says Trump’s ‘big, beautiful’ tax bill undermines his DOGE cuts
Elon Musk says he is “disappointed” by the centerpiece of U.S. President Donald Trump’s legislative agenda, criticizing the so-called “big, beautiful” bill passed in the U.S. House of Representatives last week, saying it “undermines” the work he put into help cut government spending.
The billionaire tech titan, speaking to CBS News, described the legislation, which includes a mix of tax cuts and enhanced immigration enforcement, as a “massive spending bill” that will ultimately increase the federal deficit.
“I think a bill can be big or it could be beautiful,” Musk said. “But I don’t know if it could be both.”
Many have taken his comments as a sign of fracture between the Tesla boss and Trump after Musk helped bankroll Trump’s presidential campaign to the tune of at least US$250 million — a cash infusion that has been widely credited with helping Trump return to the White House.
Musk’s comments to CBS come after he announced last month that he would be stepping back from his appointed role in the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) as a senior advisor, a job that was given to him by Trump in the early days of his second term.
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He also said he’ll reduce his political spending, saying “I think I’ve done enough.”
According to CBS, citing the Congressional Budget Office, the tax provisions of the package, titled the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” after Trump’s name for the bill, would increase the deficit by $3.8 trillion by 2034.
The legislation — which still needs to pass the Senate — would extend Trump’s signature 2017 tax cuts, boost border security spending, impose work requirements on Medicaid and roll back clean energy tax credits.
At times, Musk seemed chastened by his experience working in government. Although he hoped that DOGE would generate $1 trillion in spending cuts, he’s fallen far short of that target.
“The federal bureaucracy situation is much worse than I realized,” he told The Washington Post. “I thought there were problems, but it sure is an uphill battle trying to improve things in D.C., to say the least.”
Musk had previously been effusive about the opportunity to reshape Washington. He wore campaign hats in the White House, held his own campaign rallies and talked about excessive spending as an existential crisis.
Elon Musk carries his son X Æ A-Xii on his shoulders in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 11, 2025.
JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images
He was also effusive in his praise of Trump.
“The more I’ve gotten to know President Trump, the more I like the guy,” Musk said at one point. “Frankly, I love him.”
Trump repaid the favor, describing Musk as “a truly great American.” When Tesla faced declining sales, he turned the White House driveway into a makeshift showroom to illustrate his support.
— With files from The Associated Press
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