Elon Musk Slams Trump's Tax-Cut and Spending Bill as 'Disgusting Abomination'

Billionaire Elon Musk stirred the congressional debate over President Donald Trump's expansive tax and spending bill on Tuesday, denouncing it as a "disgusting abomination" likely to drive up the federal deficit. The comments, posted on his social media platform X, quickly rippled through Washington, resonating with several fiscally conservative Republican senators who have already expressed deep reservations about the legislation.

"I'm sorry, but I just can't stand it anymore," wrote Musk, CEO of Tesla and SpaceX. Calling the proposed Congressional spending package "massive" and "outrageous," he accused lawmakers of backing a "pork-filled" bill and lambasted those who supported its passage, saying, "Shame on those who voted for it: you know you did wrong. You know it."

Musk's remarks have intensified an ongoing split within the Republican Party over the bill, which would extend the tax cuts passed in 2017—Trump’s signature legislative achievement—while also increasing budgets for the military and border security. The U.S. House narrowly approved the measure last month by a single vote after the Congressional Budget Office estimated it would add $3.8 trillion to the nation's already staggering $36.2 trillion federal debt.

With the Senate now preparing to take up the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act," attention has turned to possible revisions that could address concerns raised by deficit hawks and moderates alike. Senate Republicans plan to meet with President Trump at the White House to discuss options, including making business-related tax breaks permanent—an idea that budget analysts warn could balloon the bill’s fiscal impact even further.

Despite the criticism from Musk and dissenting senators, the White House was quick to dismiss the backlash. "Look, the president already knows where Elon Musk stood on this bill," stated White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt during a briefing. "It doesn't change the president's opinion. This is one big, beautiful bill, and he's sticking to it."

Senate Republicans are far from united. Fiscal conservatives are demanding much deeper spending reductions than the $1.6 trillion planned over the next decade in the current version, while a separate group of rural-state GOP senators are pushing to protect Medicaid—the health care program for low-income Americans—and investment in green technologies.

With a narrow 53-47 majority in the Senate, Republicans can afford only three defections if they expect Vice President JD Vance to cast a decisive tie-breaking vote for passage by their self-imposed July 4 deadline. Senators Mike Lee and Ron Johnson, leading voices among the chamber's deficit hawks, openly doubt the possibility of reaching consensus in time and insist that the final bill must better restrain debt and deficit increases.

Yet, opposing forces within the party are equally determined to safeguard funding for Medicaid recipients and business incentives promoting clean energy. As Senator Jerry Moran explained, "I certainly have an interest in making sure people with disabilities are not harmed. But also, there's the broad issue of how does it affect hospital reimbursements."

Some lawmakers suggested that additional savings might have to be found elsewhere, which could mean postponing decisions about provisions such as tax breaks on tips, overtime pay, and Social Security benefits—signature elements of Trump's economic agenda—for future legislative battles.

As the Senate gears up for a contentious round of negotiations, the fate of the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act" remains uncertain, with both ideological divisions and influential critics like Musk complicating its path to law.