Elon Musk calls Trump megabill a ‘disgusting abomination’

In an extraordinary attack on Donald Trump’s legislative centrepiece, Elon Musk warns it will contribute to an unsustainable debt crisis and urges voters to punish Republicans.

Elon Musk left the Trump administration last week. Picture: AFP

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Elon Musk has launched an extraordinary attack on Donald Trump’s legislative centrepiece as a “disgusting abomination”, warning that the “big, beautiful” tax and spending package before the Senate will contribute to an unsustainable debt crisis.

He has also urged voters to use the 2026 mid-term elections to punish Republicans, saying: “Fire all politicians who betrayed the American people.”

Just days after stepping down as the leader of the Department of Government Efficiency at the conclusion of his 130-day tenure as a special government employee, the world’s richest man has dramatically escalated his public criticism of the bill.

Posting on his X platform, Mr Musk took aim at the Republicans in the US Congress who voted for the bill, suggesting they should have resisted the pressure on them being applied by the US President.

“I’m sorry, but I just can’t stand it any more,” Mr Musk said. “This massive, outrageous, pork-filled Congressional spending bill is a disgusting abomination. Shame on those who voted for it: you know you did wrong. You know it.”

In a separate post, Mr Musk said the bill would “massively increase the already gigantic budget deficit to $2.5 trillion (!!!) and burden American citizens with crushingly unsustainable debt”.

I’m sorry, but I just can’t stand it anymore.

This massive, outrageous, pork-filled Congressional spending bill is a disgusting abomination.

Shame on those who voted for it: you know you did wrong. You know it.

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 3, 2025

He later took to his social media platform to urge voters to use the mid-terms to punish Republicans who had acted irresponsibly by failing to improve the fiscal impact of the Big Beautiful Bill.

“In November next year, we fire all politicians who betrayed the American people,” he said.

The scathing criticism of the bill represents the most significant rift on policy between Mr Musk and Mr Trump, and it comes after the pair appeared together in the Oval Office over the weekend, with the US President describing the departing DOGE leader as one of the “greatest business leaders and innovators the world has ever produced”.

Thomas Massie from Kentucky – one of only two Republicans along with Warren Davidson to have voted against the bill in the House – replied to Mr Musk’s post on social media by declaring: “He’s right.”

Mr Musk said Congress was “making America bankrupt”, posting statistics showing the US debt had increased from $236bn in the year 2000 to $1.83 trillion in 2024.

The Big Beautiful Bill passed the House on May 22 by a narrow margin of 215 to 214 votes, and Mr Trump has urged Republicans to fall into line and pass the bill.

Those Republicans who resist his agenda have faced threats of being “primaries” – a process whereby the incumbent can expect to be challenged by another candidate from within the party deemed to be more loyal to the President’s agenda.

Posting on his Truth Social platform, Mr Trump took aim on Tuesday local time at Republican senator for Kentucky Rand Paul, who has said he is one of a handful of Republicans who “will not support a $5T increase to our deficit”.

Mr Trump said that “Rand votes NO on everything, but never has any practical or constructive ideas. His ideas are actually crazy (losers!). The people of Kentucky can’t stand him. This is a BIG GROWTH BILL!

“Rand Paul has very little understanding of the BBB, especially the tremendous GROWTH that is coming. He loves voting “NO” on everything, he thinks it’s good politics, but it’s not. The BBB is a big WINNER!!!”

But Senator Paul posted in support of Mr Musk’s criticisms. “I agree with Elon,” he said. “We have both seen the massive waste in government spending and we know another $5 trillion in debt is a huge mistake. We can and must do better.”

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt. Picture: Evan Vucci/AP

The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget’s analysis of the bill found it would “add $2.5 trillion to primary deficits over the coming decade, adding $3.1 trillion to the debt including interest”.

“If its temporary provisions are extended without offsets, we estimate it would add $5.1 trillion to the debt including interest,” it found.

In a briefing on Tuesday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt continued to defend the Big Beautiful Bill.

“Look, the President already knows where Elon Musk stood on this bill,” she said. “It doesn’t change the President’s opinion – this is one, big beautiful bill, and he is sticking to it.”

The Republican Majority Leader of the US Senate, John Thune, said he respected “everything Elon did with DOGE” but that “on this particular issue we have a difference of opinion”.

“My hope is that he has an opportunity to further assess what this bill actually does,” Senator Thune said.

Under the US Senate’s budget reconciliation rules, Republicans – holding 53 seats compared with the Democrats’ 47 – can lose no more than three votes to pass the Big Beautiful Bill with a simple majority.

Senator Paul has indicated at least four Republicans oppose the 1116-page bill, primarily due to its $3.1 trillion to $5.1 trillion debt increase, suggesting there is a long way to go before the bill can reach Mr Trump for final approval.