Elon Musk’s short-lived role within the Trump administration has come to a contentious end, capped by a scathing public attack on one of the president’s most prized legislative efforts.
Initially brought on as a “special government employee” to lead federal cost-cutting initiatives, Musk served just 130 days. According to sources close to the Tesla and SpaceX CEO, he had hoped to remain longer—but was denied, as reported by The Telegraph.
Musk received an Oval Office send-off last week as he stepped down from his position as head of the Department of Government Efficiency. But any semblance of goodwill quickly evaporated. On his social platform X, Musk derided Trump’s flagship tax-and-spending proposal—once referred to by the president as a “big, beautiful bill”—as a “disgusting abomination.”
His remarks sent shockwaves through Washington, where Trump is scrambling to rally support for the legislation in a closely divided Congress.
An administration official acknowledged the backlash, saying aides were “disappointed” with Musk’s remarks. Meanwhile, a source close to Musk characterized the dispute as a matter of “sour grapes.”
Nonetheless, Musk’s high-profile criticism has added momentum to mounting skepticism around the bill. Even Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, a staunch Trump ally, has voiced concerns—signaling potential fractures in the GOP coalition.
The legislation is a cornerstone of Trump’s second-term agenda. Determined to secure its passage, the president has cleared his calendar to personally lobby lawmakers, a necessity given the GOP’s razor-thin majority.
Trump allies are dismissing Musk’s outburst as driven more by personal frustration than ideological disagreement. “He’s a businessman with interests,” one insider said. “And he wasn’t happy about leaving.”
Indeed, Musk had reportedly pushed for an extended tenure to pursue his ambitious goal of slashing $1 trillion in federal spending—an effort ultimately rebuffed. Tensions reportedly escalated over policy moves that affected Musk directly. As Axios first reported, the bill eliminates the electric vehicle tax credit, a long-standing benefit for Tesla. Separately, Musk’s push to have the FAA adopt Starlink satellites for air traffic control was unsuccessful. Compounding the friction, the administration recently withdrew the nomination of a Musk ally to lead NASA.
At the heart of the controversy is Trump’s sweeping legislation, which aims to make existing tax cuts permanent while adding new exemptions for tips and overtime pay—key campaign promises. Supporters argue the bill would stimulate economic growth, while critics say it fails to adequately address revenue losses.
Further scrutiny came this week from the Congressional Budget Office, which warned the legislation could add $2.4 trillion to the national debt, now surpassing $36.2 trillion.
Despite the growing controversy, the bill has cleared the House and now faces a crucial test in the Senate. With Elon Musk’s very public rebuke still reverberating, the battle over Trump’s economic vision is far from over.
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