On 3rd June (local time), billionaire Elon Musk fiercely criticised US President Donald Trump’s flagship legislation and branded it a “disgusting abomination” in a series of posts on social media platform X. Notably, the bill, which has been named “One Big Beautiful Bill” by Trump, is already facing internal Republican rifts as it heads for a Senate vote.
I’m sorry, but I just can’t stand it anymore.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 3, 2025
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.
Musk, who recently exited his short-lived role as chief of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), accused lawmakers of recklessly inflating the deficit. He wrote, “Shame on those who voted for it: you know you did wrong.” He lambasted the bill’s extensive military and border allocations alongside its tax extensions.
Bill could add trillions to debt, say critics
The “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” was passed by the House by a single vote. It now seeks to make Trump’s 2017 tax cuts permanent while boosting defence and border expenditure. However, the Congressional Budget Office estimates it would add nearly USD 3.8 trillion to the country’s USD 36.2 trillion debt over the next decade.
Musk accused Congress of “making America bankrupt” and warned that the federal deficit could balloon to USD 2.5 trillion. His remarks received support from several Republican “deficit hawks,” notably Senators Mike Lee and Ron Johnson, who are pushing for deeper spending cuts and fiscal discipline.
Rand Paul joins Musk in blasting Trump’s ‘Big Beautiful Bill’
Senator Rand Paul has joined Elon Musk in denouncing Donald Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill,” and drew a firm line against what he sees as reckless fiscal policy. Paul criticised the bill’s massive borrowing implications, warning it would balloon the deficit by up to USD 5 trillion and accused fellow Republicans of sticking to Biden-era spending levels. When Trump lashed out, calling Paul “clueless,” the Kentucky senator fired back with numbers, and a message, “The math doesn’t add up.”
In a post on X, Rand quoted Musk and said some of Republicans, pointing towards himself, are trying to stop the bill to which Musk said “Thank you”.
Thank you
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 3, 2025
Divided Republicans, divided priorities
Republicans are grappling with diverging interests despite holding a 53-47 Senate majority. The fiscal conservatives are demanding drastic cuts. On the other hand, those from rural states aim to protect Medicaid and other support schemes.
In a statement, Senator Jerry Moran expressed concerns over hospital reimbursements and disability services, saying the party must “find the votes” to balance both cuts and care. Senator John Thune, on the other hand, dismissed Musk’s comments and affirmed the GOP’s commitment to the bill. “We have an agenda we campaigned on, and we’re going to deliver,” he said.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt also brushed off Musk’s outburst, stating, “The president already knows where Elon Musk stood on this bill. He is sticking to it.”
A test of Musk’s political clout
It had only been a week since his formal exit from the government when Musk’s intervention came. Though he has donated around USD 300 million to Trump’s last campaign and Republican causes, Musk has vowed to scale back political involvement.
The bill will go for Senate voting before the 4th of July deadline. However, growing opposition shows it has a tough path ahead.
With inputs from ANI.
