Elon Musk is voicing disappointment in President Donald Trump’s signature spending legislation, calling it a setback for federal cost-cutting efforts and a blow to fiscal responsibility.
In an interview with CBS Sunday Morning, the Tesla CEO criticized the recently passed House bill, nicknamed the “Big, Beautiful Bill,” for what he described as an increase to the federal deficit. Musk’s remarks were released ahead of the full interview scheduled to air this weekend.
“It frankly… increases the budget deficit, not just decreases it, and undermines the work that the DOGE team is doing,” Musk told CBS. Referring to the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), a Trump-era initiative focused on reducing federal spending, Musk made it clear he believes the bill goes against its founding principles.
Musk has been a key political ally of President Trump throughout his second term, contributing millions to the 2024 campaign and briefly co-leading DOGE. He stepped back from the initiative after Tesla’s sales reportedly suffered due to his visible ties to the administration. Still, he remained engaged, with Vice President JD Vance describing Musk last month as a “friend and an adviser” to the White House.
Last week, Musk also appeared alongside President Trump during a meeting with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, underscoring his ongoing presence in the administration’s inner circle.
Despite his support for Trump, Musk did not hold back in his criticism of the bill. “I think a bill can be big or it can be beautiful, but I don’t know if it can be both. My personal opinion,” Musk said in the interview clip released by CBS.
The bill, which passed in the House last week, proposes to extend Trump’s 2017 tax cuts while aiming to reduce $1.5 trillion in federal spending over the coming years. However, much of that reduction would come from cuts to public programs like Medicaid and SNAP, raising concerns among social policy advocates and sparking debate on Capitol Hill.
Critics argue that while the bill claims to reduce spending, it effectively shifts financial burdens onto low-income Americans by slashing essential safety nets. Supporters, including many in the Republican-controlled House, say the legislation is necessary to rein in government overreach and reassert fiscal discipline.
Still, Musk’s concerns about its actual impact on the deficit echo broader skepticism about the bill’s math. Despite DOGE’s efforts to cut costs across federal agencies, the potential net effect of this legislation may increase the deficit rather than reduce it, according to Musk.
White House officials have not yet responded to requests for comment on Musk’s remarks.
The bill now heads to the Senate, where opposition is already forming. Senator Ron Johnson has indicated he believes there are enough votes to stall the legislation, further complicating its path to law.
As the political battle over federal spending intensifies, Musk’s public break from Trump on this issue may signal a shift in the business leader’s approach to government collaboration. It also raises questions about how much influence DOGE and other cost-cutting initiatives can have in the face of large, sweeping legislation that appears to contradict their goals.
For now, Musk’s message is clear: he believes the bill undermines the very efficiency it claims to champion and risks adding even more to a federal deficit that remains a point of national concern.
