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Billionaire Elon Musk has lashed out at United States President Donald Trump’s price range invoice, describing it as a “disgusting abomination“, lower than per week after he left the administration and at a time when the laws is anticipated to come back up for voting earlier than the Senate.
The so-called “One Massive Stunning Invoice” handed within the Home of Representatives in late Could has come below growing scrutiny not simply from opposition Democrats however from sections of conservatives, together with a handful of Republican senators, and Musk.
Musk, who headed the Division of Authorities Effectivity (DOGE), arrange by Trump to chop waste in public spending, left the administration on Could 29. He had criticised the invoice a day earlier than his stint in authorities ended, however in rather more muted language than the phrases he used on Tuesday.
However why is Musk so against the invoice, why is the laws so vital to Trump, and the way does it sq. with the president’s different acknowledged fiscal priorities?
What did Musk say?
“I’m sorry, however I simply can’t stand it anymore. This large, outrageous, pork-filled Congressional spending invoice is a disgusting abomination,” Musk wrote on X, the social media platform he owns. “Disgrace on those that voted for it: you recognize you probably did mistaken. You understand it.”
I’m sorry, however I simply can’t stand it anymore.
This large, outrageous, pork-filled Congressional spending invoice is a disgusting abomination.
Disgrace on those that voted for it: you recognize you probably did mistaken. You understand it.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 3, 2025
In one other submit, Musk wrote, “Mammoth spending payments are bankrupting America! ENOUGH.”
The world’s richest man continued his tirade in opposition to the invoice on Wednesday. “This immense degree of overspending will drive America into debt slavery!” he wrote on X.
Musk claimed the invoice would “massively improve the already gigantic price range deficit to $2.5 trillion”.
The US authorities’s price range deficit has been rising. It stood at $1.83 trillion within the 2024 fiscal 12 months, in keeping with the Division of the Treasury.
This isn’t the primary time that Musk has criticised the “One Massive Stunning Invoice”, even mocking its title in a tv interview in late Could.
“I believe a invoice will be large or it may be stunning. However I don’t know if it may be each. My private opinion,” Musk informed CBS journalist David Pogue on Could 27. He added that he was “upset to see the large spending invoice”.
At DOGE, Musk was tasked with slashing US authorities infrastructure – a mandate that noticed his workforce push by way of a major culling of the federal workforce, with hundreds laid off. The USA Company for Worldwide Improvement (USAID), the federal government’s overseas assist diplomacy arm, was additionally gutted, leaving essential public well being initiatives, amongst others, struggling for survival in a number of rising economies.
Within the interview with Pogue, Musk advised that profligate authorities spending by way of the invoice would undercut the good points made by DOGE in saving tax {dollars}.
Why is the invoice vital for Trump?
The “One Big Beautiful Bill” is the centrepiece of Trump’s legislative agenda and goals to ship on a sequence of his marketing campaign guarantees.
It extends the tax cuts Trump launched throughout his first time period in workplace in 2017. On the identical time, nonetheless, it earmarks funding for different priorities of the present administration. It units apart, as an example, $46.5bn to proceed work on developing boundaries alongside the US-Mexico border to cease migrants and refugees from coming into the nation.
On social media, Trump has described the invoice – characteristically, in all caps – as a “WINNER” and as a “BIG GROWTH BILL”.
What are the fee implications of the invoice?
The invoice carries monetary – and lots of consider political – prices.
To finance Trump’s priorities, the invoice in its present kind would dramatically reduce social safety programmes that tens of millions of People depend upon.
Funding for Medicaid subsidies will drop by $698bn, in keeping with estimates by the non-partisan Congressional Price range Workplace (CBO). Greater than 71 million People had been enrolled below Medicaid as of January 2025, in keeping with authorities knowledge. The programme affords medical insurance to low-income People.
The invoice will even snip $267bn in funding for the Supplemental Vitamin Help Program (SNAP), higher referred to as meals stamps, in keeping with the CBO. An estimated 41 million People used meals stamps in 2024.
Many critics of the invoice have mentioned these cuts go away essentially the most weak People much more uncovered to healthcare crises and meals shortages.
However others, particularly on the conservative finish of the political spectrum, have pointed to how the invoice will additional bloat the nation’s debt.
The present US federal debt restrict stands at $36.1 trillion, set on January 2, 2025. However that provides the federal government no leeway to borrow any extra, for the reason that federal authorities is at present $36.2 trillion in debt.
The brand new invoice proposes elevating the debt ceiling by $4 trillion. That has angered some Republicans.
Rand Paul, a Republican senator from Kentucky, on Tuesday backed Musk’s criticism of the invoice.
“I agree with Elon. Now we have each seen the large waste in authorities spending,” Paul wrote on X. “We are able to and should do higher.”
Paul has mentioned he’ll attempt to block the invoice in its present kind within the Senate, the place Republicans have a razor-thin majority. Within the Home, the invoice handed with 215 votes in favour, and 214 in opposition to: all Democrats voted in opposition to it, joined by two Republicans, Thomas Massie of Kentucky and Warren Davidson of Ohio.
Isn’t Trump against increasing the US debt?
Sure, in some ways, the invoice’s proposal to lift the debt ceiling contradicts one other Trump marketing campaign promise – to chop debt.
DOGE was arrange with that in thoughts, and the Trump administration has justified slashing overseas assist by arguing that it might curb US debt.
Trump has additionally argued that the tariffs he has imposed – and needs to impose – on a spread of nations and items will assist the US trim its debt, although many economists have challenged the logic behind that declare.
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