Musk on Trump’s tax bill: ‘I can’t stand it anymore; it’s a disgusting abomination’

Elon Musk’s farewell from the White House last Friday was full of pleasantries, but the world’s richest man wasted no time in openly attacking the president’s tax policy. While U.S. President Donald Trump was pressuring Democratic senators to pass his so-called “big, beautiful bill,” Musk made it clear he doesn’t find it beautiful at all, calling it a “disgusting abomination.”

“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,” the mogul posted on his social media platform, X.

Clearly, Musk’s relationship with Trump has soured. On Saturday, the U.S. president announced he was withdrawing the nomination of Jared Isaacman — Musk’s friend, client, and ally — to lead NASA. Isaacman had been recommended to Trump by Musk himself. Just three days later, Musk lashed out — without mincing words — against what, alongside tariffs, is Trump’s flagship initiative.

It’s not the first time Musk has criticized the tax and spending bill, but his tone is now much sharper. In an interview aired Sunday on CBS, with some excerpts released in advance, the billionaire expressed his disappointment with the proposal. “I was disappointed to see the massive spending bill, frankly, which increases the budget deficit, not just decreases it, and undermines the work that the DOGE [Department of Government Efficiency, which Musk formerly led] team is doing,” said Musk.

“I think a bill can be big or it can be beautiful,” Musk told CBS News, “but I don’t know if it can be both. My personal opinion.”

Musk avoided making further criticisms of the Trump administration during the interview, although he made it clear he did not fully identify with all of its policies.

Trump’s tax and spending bill extends the tax cuts from his first term — broadly applied but mainly benefiting the wealthy and corporations — and includes some of the cuts he promised during his campaign, such as exemptions on tips and overtime pay. In exchange, it cuts food assistance, scholarships, and healthcare benefits.

Last Friday, at an event in Des Moines, Iowa, Republican Senator Joni Ernst tried to defend these cuts but was harshly criticized by the audience, who said that without healthcare, people will die. “People are not… Well, we’re all going to die,” she responded, to the outrage of those present.

Increased deficit and debt

The tax and spending bill favors the wealthy and harms the most disadvantaged. Its net effect, however, is to increase the deficit and debt. The Congressional Budget Office estimated a deficit increase of $3.8 trillion over 10 years; the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget calculated $3.1 trillion, including interest; and the Penn Wharton Budget Model pegged it at $2.8 trillion. However, the law is designed so that the tax cuts are temporary (expiring after Trump’s term), which limits the calculation to 10 years and makes the cost appear smaller. It leaves the hot potato of extending the cuts to the next Congress.

The Yale Budget Lab estimates that if the temporary provisions are made permanent, the cost would be $5 trillion over the 2025-2034 period and $23.7 trillion over the 2025-2055 period. Considering the already large deficit, it estimates that this could push the debt-to-GDP ratio to 200% by 2055, a level surpassed only by Sudan and Japan.

The bill was approved by the House of Representatives and is now being processed in the Senate, where several Republican senators have expressed concern about how it will increase the deficit and debt.

Trump has urged dissenting senators to approve the bill as soon as possible on his own social network, Truth Social. He specifically called out Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky, who is especially opposed to the $4-trillion increase in the debt ceiling included in the bill, the largest in history.

“Rand Paul has very little understanding of the BBB [Big Beautiful Bill], especially the tremendous GROWTH that is coming. He loves voting “NO” on everything, he thinks it’s good politics, but it’s not. The BBB is a big WINNER!!!” Trump wrote in a message.

He quickly followed up: “Rand votes NO on everything, but never has any practical or constructive ideas. His ideas are actually crazy (losers!). The people of Kentucky can’t stand him. This is a BIG GROWTH BILL!”

Trump claims that the economy is booming thanks to his tariffs and will grow at a rate between 5% and 9% annually in the coming years —absurd forecasts.

Trump is pressuring Congress members to pass the bill within a month, so it will be ready for signing on July 4, Independence Day. The president met with Senate Republican Majority Leader John Thune at the White House earlier this week and has been calling senators for individual conversations, combining threats and promises to gather votes.

Republicans hold a 53-47 majority in the Senate. They can afford to lose up to three votes, assuming Democrats vote unanimously against it. The balance is tricky. Fiscal hawks complain that the deficit and debt increase too much and demand deeper cuts. Moderates, on the other hand, do not want more drastic cuts to social spending (mainly in healthcare and food assistance) than those already included, aware that the president’s claim that the cuts target only fraud and waste doesn’t hold up.

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said Trump’s bill “is ugly to its very core.” The senator stated on Tuesday that it is “a lie” that the cuts won’t hurt Americans. “Behind the smoke and mirrors lies a cruel and draconian truth: tax breaks for the ultra-wealthy paid for by gutting health care for millions,” he said.

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