Hakeem Jeffries calls Elon Musk's attacks on Trump-backed budget bill "the stone-cold reality"
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, a New York Democrat, says he agrees with Elon Musk's characterization of President Trump's domestic policy bill as a "disgusting abomination," torching what he called a "Republican civil war" among GOP lawmakers in an interview with CBS News.
"What Elon Musk said is the stone-cold reality," Jeffries said in an interview with "CBS Evening News" co-anchor Maurice DuBois of Mr. Trump's "big, beautiful bill" — which passed the House last month.
"When you try to take away healthcare from more than 15 million Americans, that's a disgusting abomination," Jeffries said of the cuts to Medicaid included in the bill. "When you are endeavoring to rip food, literally, out of the mouths of children, veterans and seniors with the largest cut to nutritional assistance in American history, that is a disgusting abomination. And it's certainly a disgusting abomination, when all of this is being done to provide massive tax breaks to their billionaire donors, and they're going to stick the American people with the bill and increase the debt by trillions of dollars."
Musk's "disgusting abomination" comments came in a post on X Tuesday, calling the bill "outrageous" and "pork-filled." Musk and Jeffries' criticisms of the bill differ: Musk has attacked the legislation's price tag, while Jeffries has criticized its cuts to Medicaid and food stamp spending — though the Democratic leader has also pushed back on its cost.
Musk previously criticized the bill last month, telling "CBS Sunday Morning" correspondent David Pogue he's "disappointed" by the bill's cost. His comments are striking because Musk was previously a key ally of President Trump, helping to lead the Trump administration's effort to reduce the size of the federal government.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, has pushed back against Musk, defending the bill and calling his criticisms "flat wrong."
Musk's criticisms come as Senate Republicans prepare to take up the domestic policy bill, which extends Mr. Trump's signature 2017 tax cuts, imposes work requirements on some Medicaid recipients, adds new restrictions to food stamps and boosts border spending. Some senators are pushing for changes — including a few who are skeptical of its changes to Medicaid. Any changes passed by the Senate will also need to be approved by the House.
"What we see right now is a Republican civil war," Jeffries said. "Elon Musk is attacking the GOP tax scam, this reckless budget that's going to hurt everyday Americans. House Republicans are attacking Senate Republicans, Senate Republicans are attacking House Republicans."
See more from the interview with Jeffries on the "CBS Evening News" Thursday.
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Jim Mattis, Trump's first defense secretary, said it would 'harken back to Soviet Union-like displays of authoritarian power' but said he would look into it, according to 'Holding the Line,' a 2019 book by a former Mattis aide and retired Navy pilot, Guy Snodgrass. In private, Snodgrass recalled in his book, Mattis was more blunt in his opposition: 'I'd rather swallow acid.' Mattis, who has previously voiced disappointment in Snodgrass for violating his trust, declined to comment. After Mattis resigned in December 2018, Trump held a grandiose 'Salute to America' in Washington with military flyovers — but still no parade. The Army usually celebrates its birthday with a festival at the National Museum of the United States Army, across the Potomac River at Fort Belvoir, near George Washington's Mount Vernon. The event typically features equipment displays, an aerial parachute demonstration and a performance by an Army band. 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When Trump won the election, though, they had a sense that change was in the air. White House officials say that Trump always wanted a grand celebration for the country's 250th anniversary, and the parade is something of a kickoff to the wider series of events next year. The week after he was inaugurated, he signed an executive order creating Task Force 250 to begin the planning. By mid-February, George, the Army chief of staff, and his team went to the White House and made a bigger pitch to Trump administration officials: It was time, Army officials suggested, to hold a 'national-level' event of some kind to mark the birthday. Army officials were not initially sure whether Trump and senior White House advisers would be receptive to the idea. When the pitch was greeted with enthusiasm, brainstorming began in earnest, with suggestions for a parade, fireworks, a performance by the Army's Golden Knights parachute team and other demonstrations. The White House green-lit nearly all of the ideas, and Trump added some of his own. 'The president has requested aircraft and other military equipment to fully capture the might of our American military,' said a White House official, speaking on the condition of anonymity to provide detail on the planning. The official said that ever since Trump won in November, the plan was for a military parade to mark the Army's anniversary. George, a graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y., who served tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, has undertaken the project enthusiastically, Butler said. 'We're treating it like any other operation, combat or otherwise,' Butler said, indicating that considerations must be paid to make sure the event has appropriate safety precautions and logistical support. Two Army officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue, said in separate interviews that the service is aware of the connection that some critics have made to Trump's birthday — and disappointed by it. One of the officials said that early in the planning process at the White House, an Army official noted that the parade would occur on Trump's birthday. But service officials left that meeting with the impression that Trump actually did not want his birthday highlighted, the Army official said. Army officials said there were no plans to sing 'Happy Birthday' to Trump or officially acknowledge his birthday during the parade. 'Never been brought up and not part of the plan,' said Col. Chris Vitale, the officer overseeing the parade and other celebrations related to the Army's 250th. Trump, speaking on NBC's 'Meet the Press' last month, said that the event is 'not for my birthday' but that there would be a 'big, beautiful parade' to celebrate the military. Doing so, he said, would cost 'peanuts compared to the value of doing it.' 'We have the greatest missiles in the world,' Trump said. 'We have the greatest submarines in the world. We have the greatest Army tanks in the world. We have the greatest weapons in the world. And we're going to celebrate it.' The Army's suggestion to hold a national event to mark its birthday coincided with the president and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth firing senior military officers early in the administration, including the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the top officers in the Navy and Coast Guard. Unofficial lists of other military leaders who could be fired circulated widely on Capitol Hill, with little clarity whom Trump might target. Butler, George's spokesman, rejected any suggestion that the Army's embrace of a military parade had anything to do with that. 'We're on the record: No one was pitching a national event to save their job,' Butler said. The celebration has continued to grow over recent months. It now is expected to include 28 Abrams tanks, 28 Stryker combat vehicles, 28 Bradley Fighting Vehicles, an array of other vehicles and 6,700 soldiers from across the country. The estimated cost is about $45 million, Army officials have said — a flash point as the service cuts programs to fund new Trump priorities. The Army has vowed to foot the bill for any damage to city streets, with local officials particularly worried they'll be chewed up by tanks. Reagan National Airport will halt takeoffs and landings for up to several hours, and waterways on the Potomac will be closed. The parade will take place along Constitution Avenue between 15th and 23rd streets. On Friday, preparations were underway for the event. Crews along Constitution Avenue NW worked on what looked like a platform just south of the White House. A stage was under construction just off the Ellipse, the federally controlled park south of the White House. It remains unclear how organizers are planning to build a crowd for the event. Army spokesperson Cynthia Smith said they were using their website, social media, media coverage and partnerships with sports teams to drum up awareness. 'We've focused on the four-hour radius around D.C. That is really where we are marketing,' Smith said, adding that participating Army units around the country are spreading the word in their own communities. She said the Army is also 'partnering with third-party influencers,' but she was unable to provide a list of names because the computer system was down. Recruitment ads have also popped up on the D.C. Metro saying: 'Explore 250+ Army careers. Meet us June 14th on The National Mall.' Destination DC, the city's main tourism organization, published an online FAQ guide to the 250th celebration. Tucked among guidance on Metro station closures, scheduling logistics and ticket information is the question, 'Is this a political event?' The response: 'No. The celebration is focused on the Army's 250 years of service to the country — not on politics. The day honors Soldiers past and present and highlights the Army's role in American history.' 'President Trump is looking forward to celebrating the U.S. Army's birthday as part of the year-long celebration for America's 250th anniversary,' said Anna Kelly, White House deputy press secretary. 'This parade will honor all of the military men and women who have bravely served our country, including those who made the ultimate sacrifice to defend our freedom.' While officials have downplayed Trump's birthday, the president is expected to be at the center of attention. The Golden Knights are planning to parachute onto the Ellipse and present an American flag to the president. Trump will also enlist and reenlist 250 recruits and soldiers. Federal workers have been told to work remotely so that soldiers can sleep in their offices downtown. Flights will be delayed and streets blocked. There may be frustration in the air in some corners, but the tanks will soon be on their way. Dan Merica contributed to this report.
