Trump praises 'wonderful' Musk amid rift over 'big beautiful bill'
What's the story
United States President Donald Trump has called Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk a "wonderful guy" despite the latter's vocal opposition to his administration's "big beautiful bill." In an interview with Fox News's Maria Bartiromo, Trump acknowledged Musk's concerns over the bill but downplayed their differences. "I think he's a wonderful guy. I haven't spoken to him much, but I think Elon is a wonderful guy, and I know he's going to do well always," he said.
Bill backlash
Musk's criticism of the spending bill
Musk has been a staunch critic of the spending bill, calling it "utterly insane and destructive." He warned that the bill would destroy millions of jobs in America and cause strategic harm to the country. The Tesla chief also slammed its electric vehicle policies, saying they would cripple clean energy and tech innovation while giving "handouts to industries of the past."
Legislative progress
Senate Republicans are pushing ahead with the legislation
Musk's criticism came as the Senate was scheduled to call a vote to open debate on the bill. "The latest Senate draft bill will destroy millions of jobs in America and cause immense strategic harm to our country!" he wrote on Saturday. Budget Committee Chair Lindsey Graham has unveiled a revised draft of the bill, hoping to get it on Trump's desk by July 4.
Twitter Post
Musk's criticism of bill
The latest Senate draft bill will destroy millions of jobs in America and cause immense strategic harm to our country!
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 28, 2025
Utterly insane and destructive. It gives handouts to industries of the past while severely damaging industries of the future. https://t.co/TZ9w1g7zHF
Spending critique
Musk's increasing criticism of government spending
Musk, who headed the Department of Government Efficiency (Doge), has been increasingly critical of what he calls "pork-filled" government spending. Earlier this month, he called an earlier version of the bill a "massive, outrageous, pork-filled Congressional spending bill [that] is a disgusting abomination." Musk's outspoken criticism of Trump's spending plans sparked a rift between the billionaire and the president, though Musk has been seeking to repair relations in recent weeks.