Elon Musk has labeled US President Donald Trump’s proposed spending bill a “disgusting abomination,” as tensions between the two escalated following the tech billionaire’s departure from the White House.
Musk exited his official government position last week, where he had received praise from Trump for leading a federal spending cuts initiative, but disagreements have been mounting.
“This colossal, outrageous, pork-laden Congressional spending bill is a disgusting abomination,” Musk stated on X, marking his most critical comments regarding Trump’s fiscal plans.
“Shame on those who voted for it: you know you did wrong.”
Previously, Musk’s criticisms were more measured, with the former head of Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) stating only that the bill hindered his cost-reduction efforts.
He mentioned that the bill, currently under Congress’s consideration, would impose “crushingly unsustainable debt” on citizens.
The escalating rhetoric revealed a deepening conflict between the White House and Musk, who had contributed nearly $300 million to Trump’s election campaign but has recently expressed dissatisfaction.
“The president knows where Elon Musk stands on this bill; it doesn’t alter his perspective,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt responded quickly to Musk’s tweet.
“This is one magnificent, comprehensive bill, and he’s committed to it.”
As the world’s wealthiest individual stepped back from his role as Trump’s cost-cutter-in-chief, their relationship seemed stable, with the Republican praising Musk’s “incredible service.”
Once inseparable
Trump even remarked that Musk was “really not leaving” after a tumultuous four months during which the South African-born entrepreneur eliminated tens of thousands of jobs, closed entire agencies, and reduced foreign aid.
Musk was once nearly inseparable from Trump, frequently seen alongside him on Air Force One, Marine One, within the White House, and at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida.
However, the achievements of DOGE fell significantly short of Musk’s initial goal of saving $2 trillion.
The DOGE website claims to have saved taxpayers approximately 8% of that $2 trillion target—$175 billion—but fact-checkers regard that claim as questionable given past serious discrepancies in its reporting.
Meanwhile, the non-governmental “Musk Watch DOGE Tracker” reports the verifiable savings figure at just $16 billion—less than 1% of the target.
Tesla shareholders have urged Musk to return to work as sales have declined and protests have targeted the electric vehicle maker, while SpaceX has faced a series of rocket failures.
