Musk criticizes Trump’s $3.8T agenda bill, says it ‘undermines’ DOGE reforms

‘I was disappointed to see the massive spending bill, frankly, which increases the budget deficit, not just decreases it,’ says Elon Musk

Tech billionaire Elon Musk has publicly criticized a major domestic policy bill championed by US President Donald Trump and passed last week by Republicans in the White House. Speaking in a wide-ranging interview aired on CBS Sunday Morning, Musk expressed deep concern over the bill’s fiscal implications and its impact on the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). "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 told CBS News. The legislation — formally named the One Big Beautiful Bill Act — includes extensions of Trump’s 2017 tax cuts, tougher work requirements for Medicaid recipients, increased border security funding, and rollbacks of clean energy tax credits. The Congressional Budget Office projects it would add $3.8 trillion to the federal deficit by 2034. "I think a bill can be big or it can be beautiful," Musk added. "But I don't know if it can be both. My personal opinion." Though the bill still awaits a Senate vote, Musk's remarks highlight a rare policy split with Trump. Musk, who has stepped back from his aggressive role at DOGE but remains CEO of Tesla, SpaceX, and X, had previously led cost-cutting initiatives across federal agencies — moves that drew legal challenges and bipartisan concern.