Elon Musk frustrated with Trump’s big beautiful bill: “I was disappointed to see the massive spending bill, frankly”

The separation between President Donald Trump and his billionaire backer, Elon Musk, appears to be widening. While Musk remains broadly supportive of Trump’s political agenda, he hasn’t hesitated to criticize policies that conflict with his business interests.

In April, Musk clashed publicly with White House economic advisor Peter Navarro, one of the architects of Trump’s tariff policy, on social media. Musk called Navarro a “moron” and expressed hope that the U.S. would strike trade deals with major partners like the European Union that would eliminate tariffs between the two economies.

Now, as Trump’s so-called “big beautiful bill” heads to the Senate, Musk has raised concerns about key elements of the sweeping legislative package.

The bill imposes strict work requirements for Medicaid and allows interest on student loans to accrue while students are still in school. Despite these cost-saving measures, the legislation is projected to increase the federal deficit.

The increase stems from tax cuts that reduce government revenue. Since the bill doesn’t include offsetting spending reductions, the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget estimates it could add $3.1 trillion to the national debt over the next decade.

Musk says he was “disappointed” by the spending bill passed by the House

Speaking to CBS News, Musk said he was “disappointed” that the legislation would deepen the debt, arguing it undermines his efforts to cut federal spending through the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). “I was disappointed to see the massive spending bill, frankly,” said Musk, who added that he had hoped to see a funding package that would reduce the size of the federal budget and shrink the deficit. This bill does neither.

When Musk took on a leadership role at DOGE, he aimed to slash over $2 trillion in spending within a few months. However, as he prepares to step back from politics, or at least from his public role in them, DOGE’s own estimates suggest cuts closer to $175 billion. Even that figure may be overstated, given calculation errors identified by multiple news outlets.

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