Elon Musk has issued a scathing critique of Donald Trump’s marquee tax reform bill, arguing it undermines federal cost-cutting efforts spearheaded by the Department of Government Efficiency (Doge), which Musk once led.
In a preview of an interview with CBS Sunday Morning released Tuesday, the Tesla and SpaceX chief executive said he was “disappointed” by the legislation, which passed the U.S. House of Representatives by a narrow margin last week. The bill, now heading to the Senate, marks the first major legislative victory of Trump’s second term.
The tax measure, dubbed the “Big Beautiful Bill” by the president, was passed after intense pressure on dissenting Republicans. While it includes cuts to social spending, critics warn it will balloon the U.S. national debt by over $3.3 trillion over the next decade, according to non-partisan estimates.
Musk, a vocal advocate for deficit reduction, took direct aim at the bill’s implications. “I think a bill can be big, or it can be beautiful. But I don’t know if it can be both,” he told CBS. The entrepreneur, who once claimed the U.S. risked bankruptcy without fiscal discipline, suggested the legislation reverses progress made by Doge.
The Department of Government Efficiency, or Doge, was a Musk-led initiative tasked with trimming federal expenses. Though it claimed to have saved $175 billion, a Financial Times investigation revealed many of the savings were unverifiable, with inflated projections and duplicated entries marring its accounting.
Musk stepped down from Doge last month to focus on his business ventures amid a Tesla sales slump partially attributed to his political alignment with Trump. He has since pledged to reduce political donations, having spent nearly $300 million backing Republican candidates in the previous election cycle.
His break with the administration has been building. Musk previously criticized Trump’s trade policies and publicly called White House trade advisor Peter Navarro a “moron” and “dumber than a sack of bricks.” He also clashed with cabinet officials over Doge-related staffing cuts.
As Musk distances himself from the political arena, the rift with Trump appears to deepen, casting uncertainty over the future of Doge and the broader cost-cutting agenda he once championed.
