Musk criticizes Trump's 'big, beautiful bill,' says it undermines DOGE
What's the story
Elon Musk has publicly criticized United States President Donald Trump's proposed tax and spending cuts package, also known as the "Big, Beautiful Bill."
In a video released on Tuesday, Musk said he was disappointed by the bill's potential to increase the US budget deficit.
The tech billionaire claimed it undermines the efforts of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which he previously led.
Bill impact
Musk's concerns about Trump's bill and DOGE's work
Musk said, "I was disappointed to see the massive spending bill...which increases the budget deficit, not just decreases it."
He also argued that a bill can be "big or beautiful," but not both.
He said, "DOGE is...becoming the whipping boy for everything," meaning if something bad would happen anywhere, "we would get blamed...even if we had nothing to do with it."
The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimates that Trump's proposed legislation could add $3.8 trillion to the deficit.
Career shift
Musk's departure from DOGE and focus on businesses
Musk had earlier announced his decision to step back from DOGE in April after Tesla's earnings took a hit and spent millions of dollars in a Wisconsin supreme court race that his Republican candidate ultimately lost.
He also said he would spend "a lot less" money on politics in the future.
However, it remains unclear how this will affect his future financial contributions to political groups.
Growing divide
Musk's criticism of Trump's bill could widen rift
Musk's comments could widen the rift between him and Trump. A super political action committee associated with the billionaire had donated $200 million to Trump's presidential campaign last year.
However, Trump's bill proposes ending electric vehicle tax credits.
Tesla's profits have dropped significantly since Musk joined Trump's administration, further complicating matters for the billionaire businessman.
Last month, Tesla reported a 71% drop in first-quarter profits to $409m, compared with $1.39bn in the same period in 2024, The Guardian reported.
Bill
Bill cleared the House last week
The bill narrowly cleared the House last week and now heads to the Senate, where it is likely to undergo significant changes.
The bill extends tax cuts from Trump's first term, increases funding for border, deportation, and national defense priorities, reforms Medicaid with stricter work requirements, rolls back green energy tax incentives, and raises the debt limit by $4 trillion.