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Could Billionaire’s Criticism Derail Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill” in the Senate?
Elon Musk, a prominent Trump supporter and the director of Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), is voicing rare criticism of a major legislative push by President Donald Trump.
In an interview with CBS Sunday Morning, Musk expressed disappointment over the Trump-backed tax and spending package known as the “Big Beautiful Bill,” warning that it increases the national deficit and undermines DOGE’s core mission.
“I was disappointed to see the massive spending bill, frankly, which increases the deficit, not just decreases it, and undermines the work that the DOGE team is doing,” Musk said in the interview preview.
The full interview is scheduled to air on June 1 and could have ripple effects across Capitol Hill as the Senate prepares to take up the legislation.
Musk’s DOGE Cuts vs. DC Spending
Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency was created to bring private-sector discipline to federal spending.
Since its launch, DOGE has slashed or consolidated 11 federal agencies and eliminated about 250,000 federal jobs — moves the department claims have saved taxpayers $160 billion so far.
The long-term target: $2 trillion in savings.
But Musk warned that the gains are being threatened by new spending embedded in the “Big Beautiful Bill.”
“I think a bill can be big, or it can be beautiful — but I don’t know if it can be both, in my personal opinion,” he remarked, criticizing the bill’s scale and branding in typical Musk fashion.
The legislation narrowly passed the House of Representatives by a single vote last week and now faces intense scrutiny in the Senate.
Related: National Debt Tracker: Every American Taxpayer Now Owes $260,000+
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GOP Lawmakers Join Chorus of Concern
While Musk’s criticism is significant due to his close ties to the Trump administration, he’s not alone in voicing concerns. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI), a consistent Trump ally, is calling for deeper cuts to rein in the deficit.
Meanwhile, some moderate Republicans are uncomfortable with the bill’s proposed Medicaid cuts and the planned rollback of green energy tax credits introduced under President Biden's Inflation Reduction Act — credits that some GOP constituencies have embraced.
The internal GOP divisions suggest a rocky path ahead for the bill in the upper chamber.
A Warning from a Trusted Voice
Musk’s warning could prove influential. As one of the most respected innovators in the country and a key Trump administration insider, his opinion carries weight among fiscal conservatives and independent voters alike.
While he has not withdrawn support for Trump, his remarks are a clear shot across the bow — signaling that unchecked spending, even under a Republican administration, won’t go unchallenged.
The big question now: Will the Senate listen?
