Tech billionaire and former White Home adviser Elon Musk on Tuesday criticized a price range invoice backed by congressional Republicans and President Donald Trump, drawing a response from the administration.
In a submit on X, Musk mentioned the invoice will trigger the U.S. price range deficit to skyrocket.
“I’m sorry, however I simply can’t stand it anymore,” he wrote in a submit on X. “This large, outrageous, pork-filled Congressional spending invoice is a disgusting abomination. Disgrace on those that voted for it: you recognize you probably did mistaken. You understand it.”
In a follow-up post, Musk mentioned that the price range reconciliation package deal, which is known as the One Large Lovely Invoice Act, “will massively improve the already gigantic price range deficit to $2.5 trillion (!!!) and burden America residents with crushingly unsustainable debt.”
The crucial feedback come simply days after Musk departed the administration as chief of the Division of Authorities Effectivity (DOGE), a activity drive designed to focus on fraud, waste, and abuse within the federal authorities.
Musk’s submit appeared to attract on estimates from the Committee for a Accountable Federal Finances that had been launched in Might, saying that the invoice may add $2.5 trillion to the deficit over the approaching decade. It could additionally add $3.1 trillion to the nationwide debt together with curiosity, in line with the estimate.
When asked about Musk’s comments, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt indicated that the Trump administration won’t back off supporting the bill.
“Look, the president already knows where Elon Musk stood on this bill. It doesn’t change the president’s opinion,“ she told reporters Tuesday. ”This is one big beautiful bill, and he’s sticking to it.”
The Republican-backed bill passed in the House of Representatives last month by a single vote, with all Democrats opposed, and is now being considered by the Senate. Some GOP senators have indicated they may not support the measure, which would cut taxes, increase military and border spending, and scale back on Medicaid.
Republican leaders on Tuesday responded to Musk’s comment, with House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) telling reporters that Musk “is terribly wrong” about the measure and that he spoke with him over the phone about the legislation.
“I extolled all the virtues of the bill, and he seemed to understand that. We had a very friendly conversation about it,” Johnson said.
The House speaker suggested to reporters that Musk may be opposed to the bill because it contains language that terminates electric vehicle tax credits.
“I know that the EV mandate is very important to him; that is going away because the government should not be subsidizing these things as part of the Green New Deal,” Johnson said. “I know that has an effect on his business and I lament that. We talked about the ramp down period on that and how that should be duly considered by Congress.”
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) said Tuesday the concerns raised by the Tesla CEO appear to be based on estimates from the Congressional Budget Office that Republicans have contested.
The Congressional Budget Office has also said that it would increase the deficit by an estimated $3.8 trillion over 10 years, but that figure has been rebutted by the White House.
“In making its projections, the CBO [Congressional Budget Office] has refused to account for—or ‘score’ as they say in CBO lingo—any of the new revenues from the Trump reciprocal tariffs,” White House adviser Peter Navarro said in a press release on Might 28.
Different White Home officers have mentioned that some critics of the invoice are misguided and that it’s going to save greater than $1.6 trillion in obligatory spending.
“The invoice saves greater than 1.6 TRILLION in obligatory spending, together with the largest-ever welfare reform. A exceptional achievement,“ Trump administration adviser Stephen Miller mentioned within the assertion. ”I’ve additionally seen claims the invoice will increase the deficit. This lie is predicated on a CBO accounting gimmick.”
As Musk’s time within the White Home ended, the Tesla CEO and Trump appeared in a joint information convention within the Oval Workplace final week. Trump praised Musk, who was as a consequence of depart as a result of his time as a particular authorities worker ended, for his work with DOGE.
Musk was interviewed by CBS Information on Sunday and was requested about his time within the authorities. He mentioned that DOGE became a “whipping boy” in Washington for issues that his activity drive wasn’t concerned in.
At one level within the interview, Musk mentioned that he doesn’t at all times agree with the Trump administration’s insurance policies and desires a smaller authorities.
“It’s not like I agree with every thing the administration does,” he mentioned, however added that he agrees “with a lot of what the administration does.”
“Nevertheless it’s tough for me to convey that up in an interview as a result of then it creates a bone of competition,” he mentioned. “So then, I’m a bit of caught in a bind, the place I’m like, effectively, I don’t need to, you recognize, converse up in opposition to the administration, however I additionally don’t need to take accountability for every thing the administration’s doing.”
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