New York: Elon Musk, former head of the US Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), has publicly broken ranks with President Donald Trump over the administration’s latest spending legislation, dubbed the “Big Beautiful Bill” by the President.
In a post on X, Musk denounced the bill, calling it “a massive, outrageous, pork-filled Congressional spending bill” and labelling it “a disgusting abomination.” He went on to criticise lawmakers who supported it, stating, “Shame on those who voted for it: you know you did wrong.”
“I’m sorry, but I just can’t stand it anymore. This massive, outrageous, pork-filled Congressional spending bill is a disgusting abomination. Shame on those who voted for it: you know you did wrong. You know it,” he said.
Despite the harsh rebuke, the White House brushed off Musk’s critique. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt responded during a briefing, saying, “The President already knows where Elon Musk stood on this bill. It doesn’t change the President’s opinion. This is one big beautiful bill, and he is sticking to it.”
Musk’s opposition goes beyond social media. In an interview with CBS News, he expanded on his disapproval, warning that the legislation would “massively increase the already gigantic budget deficit to $2.5 trillion.” He also accused Congress of “making America bankrupt.”
This is not the first time Musk has criticised the bill. Reflecting on his tenure at DOGE, he previously expressed disappointment, noting that the legislation undermined the department’s work to curb wasteful spending. “I think a bill can be big or it can be beautiful, but I don’t know if it can be both,” he quipped during the CBS interview.
There has been considerable criticism of the bill. Republican fiscal hawks argue that it could lead the country toward bankruptcy, while independent analysts warn that it may increase the deficit by as much as $4 trillion over the next decade.
In a Friday press conference, Trump praised the legislation and called the bill “an unbelievable bill” that “cuts your deficits”. He also suggested that he would prefer “a bigger cut in taxes”. Musk, who was present at the press conference, did not speak against the topic then.
(IANS)
