Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk has launched a vehement attack on President Donald Trump’s significant tax and spending legislative package, widely referred to as the "Big, Beautiful Bill" or the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act." Musk described the bill as a "disgusting abomination," signaling a notable rift with his former ally, President Trump, and sparking further debate over the bill's fiscal implications.

In a series of posts on X (formerly Twitter), Musk elaborated on his criticism, labeling the legislation an "outrageous, pork-filled congressional spending bill." He warned it would "massively increase the already gigantic budget deficit to $2.5 trillion (!!!) and burden American citizens with crushingly unsustainable debt." Musk also stated, "Shame on those who voted for it: you know you did wrong." These comments followed Musk's abrupt departure from the Trump administration the previous week, where he had led the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) for 129 days, tasked with cutting government costs.

The controversial bill, which narrowly passed the House of Representatives on May 22 with a 215-214-1 vote, is now under consideration in the Senate. It aims to address a wide range of issues, including tax policy, border security and immigration, defense spending, and energy production. Key provisions include extending the 2017 tax cuts, increasing funds for defense, financing mass deportations of undocumented immigrants, making adjustments to SNAP and Medicaid, and lifting the nation’s debt ceiling, reportedly by $4 trillion to $5 trillion.

The financial impact of the bill is a major point of contention. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) projected the bill would add over $2.3 trillion to budget deficits over the next decade, with tax cuts and reforms contributing nearly $3.8 trillion, partially offset by spending reductions. As of early June, the U.S. national debt stood at $36.2 trillion, with the national deficit at $1 trillion. The Trump administration and some congressional Republicans have disputed the CBO's projections, arguing that economic growth spurred by the tax cuts will lead to greater tax revenue than forecasted. To counter criticism, the White House launched a website with a calculator for taxpayers to see their potential savings under the bill.

Musk's criticism has amplified existing divisions within the Republican party. Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky has been a vocal opponent, stating he will not support the bill if it raises the debt ceiling, arguing the GOP will "own the debt." At least three other Republican senators have also expressed concerns over the bill's impact on the national debt. President Trump has publicly rebuked Senator Paul, claiming he has "very little understanding of the bill" and that "his ideas are actually crazy."

In response to Musk’s statements, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt asserted that "the President already knows where Elon Musk stood on this bill" and that Trump is "sticking to it," reiterating his description of it as "one, big, beautiful bill." Leavitt also dismissed deficit increase claims as based on "shoddy assumptions" by scorekeepers like the CBO.

Other prominent Republicans have also responded to Musk. House Speaker Mike Johnson described Musk as "terribly wrong" and mentioned a 20-minute phone call with the billionaire regarding the bill. Johnson suggested that the bill's phasing out of electric vehicle tax credits could potentially affect Tesla, Musk's company, and expressed surprise at Musk's public criticism despite their conversation. Senate Majority Leader John Thune indicated the party plans to "proceed full speed ahead" with the legislation. Conversely, Representative Scott Perry, R-Pa., shared concerns about bankrupting the country and criticized the inclusion of solar and EV credits in spending measures.

Beyond his general criticisms, Musk issued a political warning, stating, "In November next year, we fire all politicians who betrayed the American people." He had previously supported Trump with significant donations in the last election. Reports from Axios suggested Musk's frustration might also stem from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) denying his proposal to run air traffic control systems on his Starlink satellite network due to technology issues and potential conflicts of interest.

Musk's stance found unexpected support from some Democrats and critics of Trump. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer remarked, "Even Elon Musk... said the bill is bad. We can imagine how bad this bill is." Independent Senator Bernie Sanders, a staunch Trump critic, agreed with Musk, calling the bill an "abomination." Sanders highlighted that the legislation would provide substantial tax breaks for the wealthy while cutting food aid for the impoverished.

The "Big, Beautiful Bill" now faces a challenging path in the narrowly Republican-controlled Senate. President Trump and Republican leaders in Congress have set a target of July 4th to pass the measure and sign it into law. Alongside this bill, Trump is also reportedly asking Congress to approve a separate plan for $9.4 billion in spending cuts, identified during Musk's tenure at DOGE, primarily targeting foreign aid, USAID, and public broadcasters NPR and PBS.