White House, Musk Clash Over Trump's $2.4T Deficit Bill
WASHINGTON: The White House on Wednesday blasted a prediction that Donald Trump's policy mega-bill could send the deficit soaring, as Elon Musk doubled down on his criticism of the US president's plans.
The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office said Trump's 'one big, beautiful bill' -- the centerpiece of his domestic agenda -- would add a giant $2.4 trillion to the US deficit by 2034.
Trump's combative Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller slammed the independent watchdog on social media as 'lefty' -- echoing the administration's frequent line of attack against its opponents.
'We are in a very good place with the bill,' said Russ Vought, head of the White House's Office of Management and Budget, which did the sums for Trump's bill.
He told reporters on a call that the congressional office's prediction 'does not reflect reality.'
But the package, which could define Trump's second term and make or break Republican prospects in the 2026 midterms, is getting a rough ride in the US Congress.
The plan would fund an extension of Trump's 2017 tax relief from his first term in the White House by piling on debt and cutting social welfare for the poorest Americans.
Tech billionaire Elon Musk, who departed as head of Trump's cost-cutting Department of Government Efficiency last week amid growing tensions, issued fresh criticism on Wednesday.
'KILL the BILL,' the South African-born tycoon posted on his X social network, following it up with a meme showing the blood-soaked Quentin Tarantino movie 'Kill Bill' and its star Uma Thurman.
Musk had called the bill a 'disgusting abomination' on Tuesday.
The bill passed the House of Representatives last week but now faces a difficult path through the US Senate.
A group of US senators visited the White House on Wednesday as the negotiations entered a crucial stage, with Trump urging the Senate to vote on it by July 4.
'Failure is not an option,' Republican Senate Majority Leader John Thune told reporters outside the West Wing.
Asked about Musk's claims that it would balloon the deficit, he replied: 'We believe the opposite.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Herald Malaysia
38 minutes ago
- Herald Malaysia
Ban on Harvard international students to hurt chaplaincy's missionary reach
As Harvard University battles a Trump administration ban on international students, the head of the school's Catholic chaplaincy has a message for those affected. Jun 06, 2025 Fr George Salzmann, a member of the Oblates of St Francis de Sales and graduate chaplain at the Harvard Catholic Center, is seen in this undated photo outside St Paul's Parish in Cambridge, Mass., the parish that serves Harvard University's Catholic community. (OSV News photo/Harvard Catholic Center) By Gina ChristianAs Harvard University battles a Trump administration ban on international students, the head of the school's Catholic chaplaincy has a message for those affected. 'Jesus says, 'Do not let your hearts be troubled.' The Lord is always there for them. The Church is always there for them,' Fr William T. Kelly, senior chaplain of the Harvard Catholic Centre, said. 'And regardless of what else happens, those two things are what, in the final run, are the most important things.' But Harvard's chaplain noted an additional consequence: The Trump ban on international students would also limit the centre's missionary impact beyond the US borders. Temporary Block on Revoking Visas Fr Kelly spoke with OSV News, May 24, a day after US District Judge Allison D. Burroughs in Boston temporarily blocked the Trump administration's decision to revoke Harvard's certification for the federal Student and Exchange Visitor Programme. The programme allows foreign students and exchange visitors to study as what the government calls 'nonimmigrant' students at US schools or programmes certified by the Department of Homeland Security. Students and exchange visitors must first be accepted by their school or programme of choice before applying for a visa. In a May 22 announcement, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said the administration 'is holding Harvard accountable for fostering violence, antisemitism, and coordinating with the Chinese Communist Party on its campus.' 'It Is a Privilege, not a Right' 'It is a privilege, not a right, for universities to enrol foreign students and benefit from their higher tuition payments to help pad their multibillion-dollar endowments,' Noem said. 'Harvard had plenty of opportunity to do the right thing. It refused.' The DHS announcement also stated that Harvard 'can no longer enrol foreign students and existing foreign students must transfer or lose their legal status.' The university filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration May 23, calling the revocation 'a blatant violation of the First Amendment, the Due Process Clause, and the Administrative Procedure Act.' 'With the stroke of a pen, the government has sought to erase a quarter of Harvard's student body, international students who contribute significantly to the University and its mission,' Harvard said in its complaint. Their Return Is Uncertain Now, thousands are uncertain if they will be able to return, and those who are still on campus must make life-changing decisions. 'I was talking to one couple who are from Italy and they said, 'If we have to go home, we can,'' said Fr Kelly. 'Their families are there and they can easily fit into the university system in Rome.' But 'they just had a child,' he said. Fr Kelly noted the couple had 'uprooted their lives to come to the United States, to come to Harvard,' a university that plays 'such a significant role in the life of the world.' And the international students, in turn, 'are a huge part of our life here,' he said. 'They bring such vibrant faith from their own cultural backgrounds, and they're just so committed. They really do bring life to things.' Putting the 'catholic' in Catholic In a very real sense, Fr Kelly said, the international students at the Harvard Catholic Centre 'really do help to put the 'catholic' in Catholic here … (in) the 'universal' sense of the word.' Fr Kelly said that the international students who participate at the centre receive 'as rich and deep an experience of the Catholic Church as possible,' and then share that experience in their countries of origin. 'So, many of them are going back to their home countries to be in leadership in law, government, medicine, education, social services, business,' he said. 'So for them to have this profoundly strong Catholic experience here, and to be able to bring that into their professional life, and into their communities back home, we really do see that as an important responsibility for us.' Impacts Church's Global Reach The Trump administration revocation 'has an impact on what we're able to do for the world, because if international students aren't allowed to come here, then they lose the experience of what they can receive at St Paul's,' Fr Kelly said. 'We've had a number of people who have told us that their experience at St Paul's and the Harvard Catholic Centre has completely changed their lives.' Even amid the visa situation, 'a number of students are still coming to Mass daily,' he said. Fr Kelly said his pastoral mission at the moment — which he shares with graduate chaplain Fr George Salzmann, a member of the Oblates of St Francis de Sales, and undergraduate chaplain Fr Nathaniel Sanders — is simply to be present for the students. 'Being with them, just reminding them that the Church is here for them, and we as individual chaplains are here for them,' he said. 'And whatever (additional outreaches) we can pick up that might be helpful to them, we certainly will do that.'--OSV
The Sun
39 minutes ago
- The Sun
Oil dips but heads for weekly gain on US-China trade talks
SINGAPORE: Oil prices slipped on Friday but were on track for their first weekly gain in three weeks after U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping resumed trade talks, raising hopes for growth and stronger demand in the world's two largest economies. Brent crude futures fell 11 cents, or 0.2%, to $65.23 a barrel as of 0634 GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude gave up 12 cents, also 0.2%, to $63.25, after gaining around 50 cents on Thursday. On a weekly basis, both benchmarks were on track to settle higher after falling for two straight weeks. Brent has advanced 2.1% this week, while WTI is trading 4% higher. China's official Xinhua news agency said trade talks between Xi and Trump took place at Washington's request. Trump said the call had led to a 'very positive conclusion,' adding the U.S. was 'in very good shape with China and the trade deal.' Canada also continued trade talks with the U.S., with Prime Minister Mark Carney in direct contact with Trump, according to Industry Minister Melanie Joly. The oil market continued to swing with news on tariff negotiations and data showing how trade uncertainty and the impact of the U.S. levies are flowing through into the global economy. 'The potential for increased US sanctions in Venezuela to limit crude exports and the potential for Israeli strike on Iranian infrastructure add to upside risks for prices,' analysts at BMI, a Fitch affiliate, said in a note on Friday. 'But both weaker demand for oil and increased production from both OPEC+ and non-OPEC producers will add to downside price pressures in the coming quarters.' Top exporter Saudi Arabia cut its July crude prices for Asia to near two-month lows. That was a smaller price reduction than expected after OPEC+ agreed to ramp up output by 411,000 barrels per day in July. The kingdom had been pushing for a bigger output hike, part of a broader strategy to win back market share and discipline over-producers in OPEC+, which groups the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and allies including Russia.
The Sun
39 minutes ago
- The Sun
Oil prices headed for rebound this week as US-China trade talks resume
SINGAPORE: Oil prices slipped on Friday but were on track for their first weekly gain in three weeks after U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping resumed trade talks, raising hopes for growth and stronger demand in the world's two largest economies. Brent crude futures fell 11 cents, or 0.2%, to $65.23 a barrel as of 0634 GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude gave up 12 cents, also 0.2%, to $63.25, after gaining around 50 cents on Thursday. On a weekly basis, both benchmarks were on track to settle higher after falling for two straight weeks. Brent has advanced 2.1% this week, while WTI is trading 4% higher. China's official Xinhua news agency said trade talks between Xi and Trump took place at Washington's request. Trump said the call had led to a 'very positive conclusion,' adding the U.S. was 'in very good shape with China and the trade deal.' Canada also continued trade talks with the U.S., with Prime Minister Mark Carney in direct contact with Trump, according to Industry Minister Melanie Joly. The oil market continued to swing with news on tariff negotiations and data showing how trade uncertainty and the impact of the U.S. levies are flowing through into the global economy. 'The potential for increased US sanctions in Venezuela to limit crude exports and the potential for Israeli strike on Iranian infrastructure add to upside risks for prices,' analysts at BMI, a Fitch affiliate, said in a note on Friday. 'But both weaker demand for oil and increased production from both OPEC+ and non-OPEC producers will add to downside price pressures in the coming quarters.' Top exporter Saudi Arabia cut its July crude prices for Asia to near two-month lows. That was a smaller price reduction than expected after OPEC+ agreed to ramp up output by 411,000 barrels per day in July. The kingdom had been pushing for a bigger output hike, part of a broader strategy to win back market share and discipline over-producers in OPEC+, which groups the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and allies including Russia.
