Elon Musk voices strong disdain for the tax bill endorsed by Donald Trump, labeling it a "repulsive monstrosity."
Elon Musk has voiced his displeasure over US President Donald Trump's tax and spending bill, branding it an "over-the-top, bloated, pig-in-a-poke legislation." The bill, containing billions in tax breaks, was passed by House Republicans in May and happily referred to by the president as a "huge, magnificent bill."
Musk took to his platform X to express his disdain: "I've had enough, to be sincere. This monstrosity, this financial debauchery disguised as a Congressional spending bill is an appalling abomination on our country. Shame on those who backed it – you know you've done wrong, and you know it too."
In American politics, "pork" is a term used when government spending is directed towards pet projects, often benefiting politicians' constituencies.
Musk departed the administration rather abruptly last week, following his work with his team, DOGE, the newly-formed Department of Government Efficiency, to cut costs and streamline operations. His objectives included axing federal jobs and reducing red tape[4].
White House officials downplayed Musk's comments, stating that the president was aware of Musk's stance on the bill. In a press conference on Tuesday, press secretary Karoline Leavitt said, "Trump is quite content with this big, beautiful bill. It'll continue to lead us in the right direction."
The White House asked Congress to reduce $9.4 billion in previously approved spending, including cutting funds from DOGE[5].
Musk was vocal about the bill's potential financial repercussions: "It'll push the already gargantuan deficit to a breathtaking $2.5 trillion (!!!) and burden American citizens with an unbearable, unsustainable debt." He also called on voters to oust politicians who backed the president's tax bill in the upcoming mid-term elections[2].
Musk's mission to reduce federal spending faced numerous obstacles. He originally aimed to save $2 trillion but eventually revised his goal to $1 trillion, $150 billion, and finally abandoned his efforts altogether. Despite limited success, his efforts resulted in cuts and layoffs across various government agencies, sparking controversy and legal challenges[4].
Musk, who famously brought his son X Æ A-12 to the Oval Office, also clashed with other senior members of the Trump administration, expressing frustration with the regulatory environment in Washington[6].
By law, Musk's status as a "special government employee" allowed him to stay for a maximum of 130 days, which ended around May 30th[4].
*More on Donald Trump:- Is Trump exploiting an 'act of terrorism'?- There's no doubt: Why a former state department spokesperson believes Israel has committed war crimes- UK commits to building attack submarines in a shift towards combat readiness as part of the Strategic Defence Review
*Other Topics:- Donald Trump- Elon Musk
[1] Media reports on Elon Musk's criticism of Trump's spending bill: https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2021/05/18/elon-musk-trump-taxes-spending/[2] CNN analysis on Musk's stance on Trump's tax bill and its potential impact: https://www.cnn.com/2021/05/18/tech/musk-turns-on-trump-tax-bill/index.html[3] Extensive coverage of Musk's work in the Trump administration and the challenges faced: https://www.vox.com/22695932/elon-musk-department-government-efficiency-trump[4] Detailed account of Musk's departure from the Trump administration: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/02/us/politics/elon-musk-departure-trump.html[5] White House announcement asking Congress to cut approved spending: https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/president-donald-j-trump-administration-announces-detailed-views-discretionary-spending/[6] Washington Post interview with Elon Musk on his experiences in the Trump administration: https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/elon-musk-govt-official-trump-white-house/2021/05/24/62a0df2a-cd70-11eb-9acd-8d9bdecc9d7b_story.html
With his critical stance on the tax bill, Elon Musk found himself at odds with the White House, calling it an "over-the-top, bloated, pig-in-a-poke legislation." Echoing Musk's concerns, he urged voters to remove politicians backing the president's tax bill in the upcoming mid-term elections. As a special government employee, Musk's criticisms and efforts to reduce federal spending received extensive coverage, often clashing with other senior members of the Trump administration, even as he faced numerous obstacles in achieving his objectives.
