The Voice News: Elon Musk has publicly criticized one of U.S. President Donald Trump’s major economic policies, despite supporting him during the 2024 election. The tech entrepreneur has expressed disappointment over Trump’s recently proposed economic bill.
Last week, the U.S. House of Representatives narrowly passed Trump’s “Big, Beautiful Bill,” which includes multi-trillion-dollar tax cuts and increased defense spending. The bill will now be sent to the Senate for approval.
In an interview with CBS News, Musk said, “I’m disappointed because the bill actually increases the budget deficit rather than reducing it.”
The bill is expected to raise the U.S. budget deficit by an estimated $600 billion in the next fiscal year, according to economic analysts.
Musk also criticized the bill for undermining the work of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), an advisory body formed by the Trump administration to reduce government spending. Musk previously led DOGE, which had implemented cost-cutting measures, including reductions in foreign aid.
“A bill can be big and beautiful—but both at once? That’s doubtful,” Musk remarked.
The bill reintroduces several of Trump’s previous promises, such as extending tax cuts from his first term (2017), increasing defense funding, and allocating resources for mass deportation of immigrants. It also proposes raising the debt ceiling to $4 trillion, allowing the government to borrow more money to fund its expenses.
Musk has already announced his resignation from DOGE. His goal was to cut government expenditure by $1 trillion through contract cancellations and a reduction in federal workforce. According to DOGE’s website, the agency has already saved about $175 billion, although BBC analysis suggests there is no full proof of that claim.
Musk further announced that he will significantly reduce his political donations and plans to remain at Tesla’s helm for at least another five years.
During his tenure at DOGE, Musk faced widespread criticism for laying off federal employees and cutting foreign aid. These actions led to protests, calls for boycotts, and reportedly impacted Tesla’s sales.
Still, Musk defended his actions, stating, “What I did was necessary.”
