Elon Musk Condemns Trump’s Budget Bill as ‘Utter Disgrace’

Elon Musk, the billionaire entrepreneur, has unleashed a fierce attack on US President Donald Trump’s flagship budget legislation, labelling it an “utter disgrace” in a series of posts on social media. Having recently stepped down from his role in the Trump administration, Musk targeted the bill—officially named the One Big Beautiful Bill—on 3 June 2025, just days after his departure. He wrote, “I can’t bear it any longer. This colossal, wasteful, earmark-laden Congressional spending bill is an utter disgrace. Shame on those who supported it—you know you’ve done wrong.”

Musk’s criticism centres on the bill’s potential to exacerbate the US national debt, which he claims will soar to $2.5 trillion, burdening Americans with “unsustainable debt.” The legislation extends tax cuts from Trump’s first term in 2017 and allocates substantial funds, including £36.5 billion for border barriers with Mexico. However, it also raises the debt ceiling by £3.1 trillion while slashing funding for social programmes like Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), with cuts projected at £548 billion and £209 billion, respectively, according to the Congressional Budget Office. This has sparked bipartisan unease, with fears that essential services could be jeopardised, while fiscal conservatives decry the debt increase.

The bill narrowly passed the House of Representatives on 22 May 2025 with a 215-214 vote, despite Republican opposition from figures(N) members like Thomas Massie and Warren Davidson. Now in the Senate, where Republicans hold a slim majority, the bill faces further scrutiny, with figures like Senator Rand Paul echoing Musk’s concerns about government waste and spiralling debt. Musk, who until recently led the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) under Trump, also called for voters to oust politicians supporting the bill in the 2026 midterms, reflecting broader tensions within the Republican Party over Trump’s fiscal policies.