Elon Musk criticizes Trump's 'big beautiful bill'

WASHINGTON -- Elon Musk is criticizing the centerpiece of President Donald Trump's legislative agenda, a important fracture successful a concern that was forged during past year's run and was poised to reshape American authorities and the national government.

The billionaire entrepreneur, who supported Trump's candidacy with astatine slightest $250 cardinal and has worked for his medication arsenic a elder adviser, said helium was "disappointed" by what the president calls his "big beauteous bill."

The authorities includes a premix of taxation cuts and enhanced migration enforcement. While speaking to CBS, Musk described it arsenic a "massive spending bill" that increases the national shortage and "undermines the work" of his Department of Government Efficiency, known arsenic DOGE.

"I deliberation a measure tin beryllium large oregon it could beryllium beautiful," Musk said. "But I don't cognize if it could beryllium both."

His CBS interrogation came retired Tuesday night. Trump, speaking successful the Oval Office connected Wednesday, defended his docket by talking astir the delicate authorities progressive with negotiating the legislation.

"I'm not blessed astir definite aspects of it, but I'm thrilled by different aspects of it," helium said.

Trump besides suggested that much changes could beryllium made.

"We're going to spot what happens," helium said. "It's got a mode to go."

Republicans precocious pushed the measurement done the House and are debating it successful the Senate.

Musk's comments travel arsenic helium steps backmost from his authorities work, rededicating himself to companies similar the electrical automaker Tesla and rocket shaper SpaceX. He's besides said he'll trim his governmental spending, due to the fact that "I deliberation I've done enough."

At times, he's seemed chastened by his acquisition moving successful government. Although helium hoped that DOGE would make $1 trillion successful spending cuts, he's fallen acold abbreviated of that target.

"The national bureaucracy concern is overmuch worse than I realized," helium told The Washington Post. "I thought determination were problems, but it definite is an uphill conflict trying to amended things successful D.C., to accidental the least."

The White House is acceptable to nonstop projected rescissions, a mechanics utilized to cancel antecedently authorized spending, to Capitol Hill to solidify immoderate of DOGE's cuts.

A spokesperson for the Office of Management and Budget said the bundle volition see $1.1 cardinal from the Corporation of Public Broadcasting, which funds NPR and PBS, and $8.3 cardinal successful overseas assistance.

Musk had antecedently been effusive astir the accidental to reshape Washington. He wore run hats successful the White House, held his ain run rallies and talked astir excessive spending arsenic an existential crisis.

He was besides effusive successful his praise of Trump.

"The much I've gotten to cognize President Trump, the much I similar the guy," Musk said astatine 1 point. "Frankly, I emotion him."

Trump repaid the favor, describing Musk arsenic "a genuinely large American." When Tesla faced declining sales, helium turned the White House driveway into a makeshift showroom to exemplify his support.

It's unclear what, if any, interaction that Musk's comments astir the measure would person connected the legislative debate. During the modulation period, helium helped whip up absorption to a spending measurement arsenic the state stood connected the brink of a national authorities shutdown.

Speaker Mike Johnson has asked senators to marque arsenic fewer changes to the authorities arsenic possible, saying that House Republicans reached a "very delicate balance" that could beryllium upended with large changes. The narrowly divided House volition person to ballot again connected last transition erstwhile the Senate alters the bill.

However, Musk's disapproval could embolden Republicans who privation bigger spending cuts. Republican Utah Sen. Mike Lee reposted a Fox News communicative astir Musk's interrogation portion besides adding his ain instrumentality connected the measure, saying determination was "still clip to hole it."

"The Senate mentation volition beryllium much aggressive," Lee said. "It can, it must, and it volition be. Or it won't pass."

Only 2 Republicans - Reps. Warren Davidson of Ohio and Thomas Massie of Kentucky - voted against the measure erstwhile the House took up the measurement past week.

Davidson took enactment of Musk's comments connected societal media.

"Hopefully, the Senate volition win with the Big Beautiful Bill wherever the House missed the moment," helium wrote. "Don't anticipation idiosyncratic other volition chopped deficits someday, cognize it has been done this Congress."

The Congressional Budget Office, successful a preliminary estimate, said the taxation provisions would summation national deficits by $3.8 trillion implicit the decade, portion the changes to Medicaid, nutrient stamps and different services would trim spending by somewhat much than $1 trillion implicit the aforesaid period.

House Republican leaders accidental accrued economical maturation would let the measure to beryllium shortage neutral oregon reducing, but extracurricular watchdogs are skeptical. The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget estimates the measure would adhd $3 trillion to the debt, including interest, implicit the adjacent decade.

Associated Press writer Lisa Mascaro contributed to this report.