By LISA MASCARO and MARY CLARE JALONICK
WASHINGTON (AP) —Tech billionaire Elon Musk, who just left the Trump administration, blasted the Republican tax cuts and spending plans that passed the House.
“This massive, outrageous, pork-filled Congressional spending bill is a disgusting abomination,” Musk posted Tuesday on X. “Shame on those who voted for it: you know you did wrong. You know it.”
Musk continued that the bill “will massively increase the already gigantic budget deficit to $2.5 trillion (!!!) and burden America citizens with crushingly unsustainable debt.”
Musk stepped down last week from his role as head of the Department of Government Efficiency, which has been tasked with slashing federal spending.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt played down the criticism by one of Trump’s top advisers and funders of his political operations during last year’s election.
“The president already knows where Elon Musk stood on this bill,” Leavitt said, adding that Musk’s post “doesn’t change the president’s opinion.”
Senate majority leader pushes back on Musk critique of GOP bill
John Thune said billionaire Elon Musk’s critiques of the Republicans’ sweeping tax and spending package amounts to “a difference of opinion” and said the Senate would not change course.
“So we have a difference of opinion. He’s entitled to that opinion. We’re going to proceed full speed ahead,” Thune told reporters.
Thune said he has seen economic modeling that predicts “significant growth” in the U.S. economy if the proposals were enacted.
He said Musk’s concerns were based on analysis from the Congressional Budget Office that he called “static scoring assessment.”
He dismissed concerns that Musk’s critiques could tank the GOP’s signature legislation.
“We have an agenda that everybody campaigned on, most notably the president,” Thune said.
House speaker calls Elon Musk’s criticism of the Republican tax and immigration bill ‘very disappointing’
“With all due respect, my friend Elon is terribly wrong about the one big beautiful bill,” Mike Johnson said Tuesday.
Johnson said he spoke with Musk on Monday for more than 20 minutes by telephone. He said he extolled the virtues of the bill and how it was achieving campaign promises while making permanent massive tax and spending cuts.
“It’s a very important first start. Elon is missing it,” Johnson said.
Johnson also noted how the bill quickly phases out tax credits for electric vehicle purchases.
“That is going away because the government should not be subsidizing these things,” Johnson said. “I know that has an effect on his business and I lament that.”
He also said that’s he’s surprised by Musk’s criticism given their conversation.
“I just deeply regret he’s made this mistake,” Johnson said.