--- title: "Elon Musk Turns on Trump, Slams His Huge Bill" description: "Billionaire Elon Musk is now heavily criticizing president Donald Trump's so-called \"big, beautiful bill.\"" date: "2025-05-28" modified: "2025-05-28" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/elon-musk-turns-on-trump-bill" categories: - "Elon Musk" - "Future Society" - "The Industrialists" tags: - "doge" - "donald trump" - "elon musk" - "tesla" --- # Elon Musk Turns on Trump, Slams His Huge Bill ![Billionaire Elon Musk is now heavily criticizing president Donald Trump's so-called "big, beautiful bill."]() *\Image: Joe Raedle/Getty Images\* In yet another sign that their bromance is coming to an end — or perhaps that it's already splintered behind the scenes — billionaire Elon Musk is now heavily criticizing president Donald Trump's so-called "big, beautiful bill." In an [interview with *CBS News*]() over the weekend, Musk said that he's "disappointed" by the price tag of the tax and spending bill, arguing that it "increases the budget deficit, not just decreases it, and undermines the work that the DOGE team is doing." It's only the latest instance of Musk breaking ranks. Last month, he [lashed out at Trump's advisor on trade]() and manufacturing, Peter Navarro, the architect of the president's tariff war, accusing him of being stupid. There's [reportedly]() been a major falling out between Musk and the White House, with several Republican lawmakers butting heads with him and accusing him of overstepping boundaries. Given the latest news, Musk is now seemingly concerned about his legacy in Washington, DC, a turbulent couple of months marked by the billionaire [wielding both a proverbial]() and [literal ]()[chainsaw]() against government agency budgets, actions that have made him [wildly unpopular]() with the public and led to a [worldwide cratering of Tesla sales](). "I think a bill can be big or it can be beautiful, but I don’t know if it can be both," Musk told *CBS*, "but I don't know if it can be both. My personal opinion." The bill, which was passed by Republicans in the House last week, includes major tax cuts to the wealthy, devastating blows to Medicaid, and a doubling down on draconian anti-immigration measures. According to nonpartisan estimates, the bill would [add a whopping $3.8 trillion]() to an already enormous $36 trillion of debt. It now awaits approval in the Senate, which is [widely expected]() to make major changes, if not grind it to a halt. While Musk's so-called Department of Government Efficiency [has failed]() to come even close to his promised $2 trillion in funding cuts, the bill would effectively negate any cost-cutting measures, no matter how insignificant. In fact, experts have warned that DOGE could ultimately [cost the government more than it saves](), highlighting how little Musk's poorly executed mission has achieved. But now that Musk has vowed to refocus his efforts on his ailing businesses, he's [singing a notably different tune](). Perhaps, by dismissing Trump's tentpole bill, the entrepreneur is trying to distance himself further from the world of politics. After encountering major headwind and plenty of criticism, even from conservatives in the White House, Musk proclaimed that he had "done enough" [during an event last week](), saying that he's going to do "a lot less" political spending from now on. Sensing failure, Musk has recommitted himself to his atrophying businesses to keep up investor morale. "The federal bureaucracy situation is much worse than I realized," Musk [told *The Washington Post*]() this week after making his return to SpaceX's testing facilities in South Texas. "I thought there were problems, but it sure is an uphill battle trying to improve things in DC, to say the least." But realizing that burning bridges in the White House wasn't likely going to help his efforts to [bulldoze a regulation-free path]() for his firms, the billionaire was careful to kiss the ring. "The more I’ve gotten to know President Trump, the more I like the guy," Musk said, as [quoted by the *Associated Press*](). "Frankly, I love him." **More on Elon Musk:** *[You Can Suddenly Sense Elon Musk's Desperation]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()