New Delhi: Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, expressed disappointment with US President Donald Trump's recent legislative proposal known as the 'One Big Beautiful Bill Act'. Musk criticized the multi-trillion dollar spending package, arguing it would increase the federal budget deficit rather than reduce it.
During an interview, Musk remarked, "I was disappointed to see the massive spending bill, frankly, which increases the budget deficit, not just decreases it, and undermines the work that the DOGE team is doing." Musk, who recently stepped back from leading the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), continued, "I think a bill can be big or it can be beautiful but I don't know if it can be both. My personal opinion."
The proposed legislation, aligned with President Trump's vision for a 'Golden Age,' includes a 10-year extension of the 2017 tax cuts, reductions to social safety net programs, enhanced border security funding, Medicaid work requirements, and rollbacks on clean energy tax credits. It passed the House of Representatives last week along strict party lines (215-214) amid efforts by Republican leaders to suppress dissent from the party's right wing.
Despite Republican skepticism, particularly from fiscal conservatives who warn the bill risks pushing the nation toward bankruptcy, the White House Council of Economic Advisers forecasts optimistic growth of up to 5.2 percent — a projection considered highly ambitious by independent analysts. Critics estimate the deficit could increase by as much as $4 trillion over the next decade due to this bill.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt defended the bill, stating it "does not add to the deficit" and would purportedly save $1.6 trillion through spending reductions.
This legislative debate highlights ongoing tensions within the Republican Party and between key figures such as Musk and Trump over fiscal policy direction.
