Musk attacks underscores pent-up tensions with White House

The Hill

a day ago

Elon Musk's harsh criticism of the White House's signature policy bill is laying bare the tensions between the world's richest man and the administration where he worked over the last four months.
Privately, Musk rubbed a number of senior officials the wrong way during his time in government, and his complaints about a key legislative goal may further agitate his critics in the administration.
Multiple sources close to the administration told The Hill that Musk frequently clashed with Cabinet secretaries and other senior officials who viewed him as overstepping his role leading the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
The Tesla CEO — who spent millions of dollars to help Trump get elected and whose 130-day window as a special government employee ended last Friday — sparred with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Treasury Department Secretary Scott Bessent and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy at various points throughout his tenure.
He also publicly bickered with senior trade adviser Peter Navarro, calling him a 'moron' after Navarro weighed in on Tesla's assembly process for its electric vehicles.
While White House aides dismissed those disagreements as a sign of healthy debate among top officials, they were part of a larger pattern of tensions between Musk and others in the administration.
The latest instance came over the weekend, when Trump withdrew the nomination of Musk ally Jared Isaacman to serve as NASA administrator. Musk had pushed for Isaacman's nomination, and the nominee had already advanced through the Senate Commerce Committee. But within hours of Musk's departure from the government, Trump pulled the pick, citing 'a thorough review of prior associations.'
But the break that threatens to irk Trump the most and could undermine his agenda is Musk's frustrations with the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which passed the House last month and must now clear the Senate.
Musk exited the administration after an Oval Office press event with Trump on Friday and has since ratcheted up his criticism of Trump's bill.
By Wednesday afternoon, Musk was urging lawmakers to 'kill the bill.'
A day earlier, he railed against the legislation in a post on the social platform X, which he owns, calling it 'an abomination' and 'pork-filled' due to its effects on federal deficits.
'In November next year, we fire all politicians who betrayed the American people,' Musk wrote in a separate post, while sharing another that highlighted criticisms of Republican lawmakers.
Top White House officials have publicly brushed aside the criticism and said Musk's issues with the legislation had no impact on their approach.
'The White House knows you cannot have perfection be the enemy of the good. And Elon is someone who can put a rocket on the moon … but has to understand that this is how government works, and there's a lot of bureaucracy, and this is a team sport,' said one White House ally.
'I think the Trump White House is handling this right by choosing their words wisely,' the source added.
Outside the White House, however, Trump allies have begun to fire back at Musk while signaling the president's disappointment.
Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) told reporters Wednesday morning that Trump was 'not delighted' with Musk's outburst toward the legislation.
Multiple sources on Capitol Hill and in the administration seeking to explain Musk's tirade against the bill suggested he was frustrated by the legislation's language that would phase out tax credits for new electric vehicles, a potential hit to Tesla's business.
Trump himself has not directly addressed Musk's comments.
Multiple top aides have mostly held their fire and instead focused on what the bill accomplishes.
Deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller has led that charge, posting on social media and going on television to tout the benefits of the legislation and offer thinly veiled critiques of Musk's argument.
'Sometimes, in life, a great thing is just a great thing for a great reason. It's OK to win. Winning is wonderful,' Miller posted on X.
In a separate post, Miller argued the bill was 'designed by President Trump, his loyal aides, and his closest allies in Congress to deliver fully and enthusiastically on the explicit promises he made the American People.'
Russell Vought, the director of the Office of Management and Budget, was similarly gentle in his pushback to Musk. He argued it was a 'fiscally responsible bill' and suggested projections that showed it growing the deficit were flawed.
'We think the bill is very good one. We think it's very strong fiscally. Nothing's changed from our view of the world. We understand where [Musk's] coming from,' Vought told reporters at the White House.
The fallout over the reconciliation package comes after Trump gave Musk a warm send-off last Friday. The president held a press conference in the Oval Office, which he opened by extolling the work of Musk and DOGE and by presenting the Tesla CEO with a ceremonial key to the White House.
Musk told reporters that he would be 'visiting here and be a friend and an adviser to the president.'
Trump allies are skeptical that the Tesla CEO's criticism is a sign of a permanent breakup, pointing to Musk's significant support for Trump in 2024 and Trump's tendency to never fully abandon those who found their way into his inner circle.
'No one ever truly leaves Trump's orbit,' the Trump ally told The Hill. 'Second, Elon is the brightest guy anyone knows and he's also somebody who cares deeply about this country, particularly when it comes to things like free speech and debt. And those are things that, despite the shouting matches, those aren't going to change.'