WASHINGTON — Tech billionaire Elon Musk has publicly attacked President Donald Trump’s flagship tax and spending bill, calling it a “disgusting abomination”.

The criticism marks a sharp break between two political allies who previously appeared aligned.

The bill, passed by the US House of Representatives last month and dubbed by Trump as “One Big, Beautiful Bill”, includes multi-trillion-dollar tax cuts, increased defence spending, and the removal of the national debt ceiling by up to USD 4 trillion.

In a series of posts on the X platform on Tuesday, 3 June 2025, Musk sharply criticised the tax bill, describing it as excessive spending packed with “pork” that would massively raise the already ballooning budget deficit to USD 2.5 trillion.

According to Musk, the bill would burden Americans with deeply unsustainable debt.

In the context of US politics, the BBC (4/6) notes that “pork” refers to the allocation of government funds for local projects aimed at benefiting specific constituencies, often in exchange for political support.

“Shame on anyone who voted for this bill,” Musk wrote on X, just days after resigning from the Trump administration following 129 days of service as an advisor on budget efficiency through an internal task force called DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency).

The bill also extends tax cuts from Trump’s first term in 2017 and funds a programme for mass deportations of undocumented immigrants.

The legislation has sparked fierce debate within the Republican Party, especially from fiscal conservatives such as Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky.

In an interview with CBS News, Paul expressed opposition due to the elimination of the debt ceiling.

“Republicans will own this deficit if they vote for it,” Paul warned.

Trump responded via social media, accusing Paul of misunderstanding the bill and even claiming Kentuckians “can’t stand him”.

Meanwhile, Republican Senate Majority Leader John Thune affirmed that the party would continue to push the bill’s passage.

“We have an agenda supported by the people, especially the President,” he said.

Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson also dismissed Musk’s concerns.

Speaking at Capitol Hill, Johnson stated: “My friend Elon is dead wrong. This is an important first step.”

Johnson revealed that he had spoken with Musk for 20 minutes by phone, discussing the bill’s potential impact on Tesla’s electric vehicle business due to the removal of EV tax incentives.

According to Axios, Musk was also disappointed after his proposal to have the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) air traffic control system run via Starlink satellites was rejected due to technological concerns and possible conflicts of interest.

Although Musk had previously been a staunch supporter of Trump — even donating over USD 250 million to his campaign — the clash underscores deepening rifts in their alliance.

“Next year in November, we fire every politician who betrayed the American people,” Musk declared.

Senate Democrat Chuck Schumer welcomed Musk’s criticism of the bill, despite having previously condemned Musk’s role in the administration.

“Even Elon Musk, who was part of the process, says this bill is terrible,” he remarked.

Trump and Republican leaders are targeting 4 July as the deadline for passing the bill into law.

To appease the conservative faction of his party, Trump has proposed USD 9.4 billion in spending cuts based on DOGE recommendations, including reductions to foreign aid, USAID, and public broadcasters NPR and PBS. (EF/ZH)