Just a week ago, Elon Musk was still tied to the White House, serving as Trump’s point man for government cost-cutting.
Now? He’s firing shots from the sidelines—and the fallout is heating up fast.
The world’s richest man has taken direct aim at Donald Trump’s prized spending bill, in what looks like a very public and messy breakup between two billionaire power players.
Musk Slams Trump’s “Pork-Filled” Spending Plan
Elon Musk didn’t hold back when reacting to the new Congressional spending package that Trump has been championing.
Posting on X, Musk called it a “massive, outrageous, pork-filled abomination.”
He went a step further, shaming those in Congress who backed it: “Shame on those who voted for it: you know you did wrong.”
This wasn’t his first jab at Trump’s so-called “big, beautiful bill”—which, despite slashing health and food aid programs, is expected to balloon the U.S. deficit by $3 trillion over the next decade.
But this was Musk’s sharpest critique yet.
Growing Frustration Behind the Scenes
Musk had previously kept his objections more measured, noting that the bill undermined his efforts to trim federal spending.
But on Tuesday, he cranked up the volume, warning that the legislation would saddle Americans with “crushingly unsustainable debt.”
Reports suggest this public outburst is rooted in growing disillusionment.
Despite donating nearly $300 million to Trump’s 2024 campaign, Musk apparently feels let down.
Several of his asks were ignored or rejected by the Trump administration.
What Musk Wanted—And Didn’t Get
One major sticking point? The bill cuts the electric vehicle tax credit, which directly affects Tesla’s bottom line.
Musk also lobbied for his Starlink satellites to be used for U.S. air traffic control but was turned down, according to Axios.
He wanted to extend his 130-day cap on government service—another no-go.
And he was reportedly furious when Trump pulled the nomination of his ally Jared Isaacman for NASA chief.
Trump Tries to Keep It Cool—For Now
Interestingly, Trump has so far avoided clapping back at Musk.
Why? Probably because he knows Musk has sway with young, tech-savvy voters—a demographic Trump needs in 2024.
According to White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, “The president already knows where Elon Musk stood on this bill. It doesn’t change his opinion.”
Meanwhile, House Republicans were moving forward with $9.4 billion in proposed cuts, largely targeting public broadcasting and foreign aid, as part of the broader legislative package.
GOP Leadership Pushes Back
House Speaker Mike Johnson called Musk’s remarks “disappointing” and said he had personally explained the bill to Musk earlier in the week.
Johnson claimed Musk “seemed to understand” it at the time—implying the entrepreneur’s dramatic reversal caught them off guard.
DOGE’s Reality Check: Lofty Promises, Modest Results
Musk’s role as head of Trump’s “Department of Government Efficiency” (DOGE) came with bold promises—none bigger than the claim he could slash $2 trillion from the federal budget.
But now that the dust is settling, the numbers tell a different story.
DOGE claims to have saved $180 billion, but independent fact-checkers doubt even that figure, citing inconsistencies in the department’s math.
Despite shuttering agencies and eliminating tens of thousands of jobs, the results fell far short of Musk’s ambitious targets.
Democrats Turn Up the Heat
As Musk and Trump bicker, Senate Democrats are sharpening their knives.
A new report on Tuesday listed 130 alleged instances of unethical or potentially corrupt actions by the administration—many of them said to benefit Musk directly.
The report claims these regulatory favors helped boost Musk’s personal fortune by $100 billion.
Deficits Still Soaring, Debate Far from Over
The bill at the center of this clash is still making its way through Congress, and it’s already expected to add between $2.5 trillion and $3.1 trillion to the national deficit over the next ten years.
Trump, for his part, has insisted it represents “the single biggest Spending Cut in History.”
But in the same breath, he added, “The only ‘cutting’ we will do is for Waste, Fraud, and Abuse.”
A Public Breakup That Was Bound to Happen?
With so many clashing egos, broken promises, and high-stakes dollars involved, was this rift between Trump and Musk inevitable? Their alliance may have started with headlines and handshakes, but now it looks like it’s ending in jabs and accusations.