Musk ramps up Trump tax bill attacks

Elon Musk on Wednesday ramped up his attacks against the massive tax-cut bill President Donald Trump is pushing Congress to pass, claiming it will condemn America to “debt slavery” and urging lawmakers to “KILL the BILL.”

“Call your Senator, Call your Congressman,” Musk wrote as he decried the budget package at length on his social media site X. “Bankrupting America is NOT ok!”

“A new spending bill should be drafted that doesn’t massively grow the deficit and increase the debt ceiling by 5 TRILLION DOLLARS,” the Tesla and SpaceX CEO suggested in another post.

Musk’s fusillade began Tuesday, when he slammed what Trump has dubbed the “big, beautiful bill” as a “disgusting abomination.”

Since then, Musk has fired off more than two dozen X posts or reposts that either explicitly criticize the bill or comment on related issues, such as the size of America’s debt.

The ongoing barrage comes days after Musk departed the Trump administration, where he had worked temporarily as the head of the president’s government-shrinking group known as the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE.

While Musk’s opposition to the bill was already clear, his public trashing has been an unwelcome surprise at the White House, an official there told CNBC on condition of anonymity later Wednesday.

Trump is more disappointed than frustrated with Musk, the official said, adding that the president stands by the bill and remains focused on getting it passed.

The official was not aware if Trump has tried to contact Musk, or vice versa, with regard to their disagreement.

Musk, who has signaled he is refocusing on his electric vehicle and rocket businesses, was prompted to speak out against the bill in part because it cuts an EV tax credit that helps Tesla, a source familiar with the matter told NBC News on Tuesday.

Musk had also discussed continuing to work for Trump as a “special government employee” past the 130-day legal limit for the role, but he was rebuffed by the White House, according to NBC, which confirmed earlier reporting by Axios.

There were two other points of conflict, NBC reported: The Trump administration had refused Musk’s idea to have the Federal Aviation Administration run off his Starlink satellite system, and it had withdrawn Musk’s preferred pick to become administrator of NASA.

Trump, who praised Musk during his send-off at the White House last Friday, has not publicly weighed in on Musk’s open hostility toward the bill.

But on Wednesday afternoon, Trump’s account on his own social media site, Truth Social, reposted a screenshot of Musk thanking the president for letting him lead DOGE.