Musk blasts Trump's massive bill as a ‘disgusting abomination,' catching White House officials off guard
By
Kristen Holmes
,
Kaitlan Collins
and
Samantha Waldenberg
, CNN
Elon Musk on June 3 lashed out at President Donald Trump's agenda bill, calling it a 'disgusting abomination".
Photo:via CNN Newsource
Elon Musk has lashed out at President Donald Trump's agenda bill - which the president is pressuring GOP senators to support - calling it a "disgusting abomination".
"I'm sorry, but I just can't stand it anymore. This massive, outrageous, pork-filled Congressional spending bill is a disgusting abomination," the tech billionaire posted on X on Wednesday (NZT). "Shame on those who voted for it: you know you did wrong. You know it."
He added in a subsequent post: "Congress is making America bankrupt."
In another, he said: "In November next year, we fire all politicians who betrayed the American people."
Several White House officials said they were caught off guard by the harsh remarks. While Musk's sentiments on the bill were no secret to senior staff in the West Wing, they weren't expecting him to take such a strong public stance, according to those officials, especially given conversations Musk has had with White House staff and GOP lawmakers.
This is not the first time Musk has attacked the bill. In an interview after the package was passed by Republicans in the House, Musk said he was "disappointed" in the massive bill, adding that it would increase "the budget deficit, not just decreases it" and undermine "the work that the DOGE team is doing".
Asked about his most recent criticism during a press briefing Tuesday afternoon, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt responded that "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," she added.
House Speaker Mike Johnson on Tuesday forcibly pushed back against Musk, arguing he is "terribly wrong" about the legislation. The GOP leader added to reporters that he and Musk had a "very friendly conversation" over the phone Monday, where Johnson "extolled all the virtues of the bill."
"Elon is missing it, OK? And it's not personal. I know that the [electric vehicle] mandate's very important to him," Johnson said. He added: "But for him to come out and pan the whole bill is to me, just very disappointing, very surprising in light of the conversation I had with him yesterday."
Musk's company Tesla has benefitted from federal tax credits that give consumers up to $7500 off of certain EVs manufactured in the US, something that would go away if the GOP bill passes.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, who is trying to pass the bill through his chamber before 4 July , called the billionaire's opposition a "difference of opinion" but added he plans to "proceed at full speed".
Musk, who was granted special government employee status to lead the Department of Government Efficiency, officially left the administration Friday.
Minutes after Musk posted on X, Republican Sen. Rand Paul said he agrees with the billionaire, adding: "We can and must do better." Paul has publicly opposed the legislation as it's currently written, arguing it adds to much to the national debt.
The president spent Monday speaking with several GOP senators, including Paul. The chamber is considering several changes to the legislation as congressional leaders aim to put the package on Trump's desk by 4 July - an ambitious timeline.
Paul told CNN on Monday that he "had a lengthy discussion" with Trump this week and told the president that he can't back the bill if an increase to the debt ceiling remains in the package. Thune has said he will not drop language in the legislation addressing the debt limit hike.
"It's just not a conservative thing to do, and I've told him I can't support the bill if they are together. If they were to separate out and take the debt ceiling off that, I very much could consider the rest of the bill," said Paul, who noted that Trump "did most of the talking" on their call.
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