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Elon Musk, the billionaire tech entrepreneur, has criticized President Donald Trump's tax and spending bill, calling it a "disgusting abomination." Musk's comments, made on his X social media platform on Tuesday (June 3), come just days after he departed the White House, where he led the "department of government efficiency" (Doge).
Musk argued that the bill, which extends Trump's 2017 tax cuts and includes new spending for border security and the military, would significantly increase the budget deficit to $2.5 trillion. "This massive, outrageous, pork-filled Congressional spending bill is a disgusting abomination," Musk wrote. "Shame on those who voted for it: you know you did wrong."
The bill narrowly passed the House of Representatives and is now under consideration in the Senate, with a target to pass a revised version by July 4. Some fiscally conservative Republican senators, including Ron Johnson and Rand Paul, share Musk's concerns about the need for spending cuts.
According to Politico, the White House has acknowledged Musk's stance but remains firm in its support for the bill. Press secretary Karoline Leavitt stated, "The president already knows where Elon Musk stood on this bill. It doesn’t change the president’s opinion: this is one big, beautiful bill and he is sticking to it."
The bill has faced criticism from Democrats, who argue it would raise healthcare costs and cause millions to lose coverage. Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer described the bill as "ugly to its very core," while Bernie Sanders called it a "death sentence for struggling Americans."