Elon Musk has said: In November next year, we fire all politicians who betrayed the American people
Elon Musk has sharply criticized President Donald Trump’s flagship tax and spending legislation, calling it a “disgusting abomination.”
The bill—passed by the House of Representatives in May—features multi-trillion-dollar tax breaks, expanded defense spending, and provisions to raise the federal borrowing limit.
“Shame on those who voted for it,” Musk wrote in a post on X Tuesday.
The remarks come just days after Musk’s abrupt departure from the administration, where he had served for 129 days leading a cost-cutting task force known internally as Doge.
This marks Musk’s first public break with Trump since stepping down. While he had previously described the bill as “disappointing,” Tuesday’s comments show a clear escalation in his criticism.
Musk’s tenure in the Trump administration ended on May 31, although Trump insisted that the billionaire “will, always, be with us, helping all the way.”
The legislation—referred to by Trump as the “big beautiful bill”—is projected to increase the federal budget deficit by approximately $600 billion in the next fiscal year. The budget deficit is the gap between government spending and revenue.
In a series of posts on X, Musk blasted the bill as “outrageous” and “pork-filled,” warning that it would balloon the deficit to $2.5 trillion and place “crushingly unsustainable debt” on U.S. citizens.
In American political jargon, “pork” refers to government spending directed at lawmakers’ home districts, often to secure votes.
Previously, Musk had vowed to fund primary challenges against any Republican who opposed Trump’s broader agenda. On Tuesday, he issued a direct political threat:
“In November next year, we fire all politicians who betrayed the American people,” he wrote.
When asked about Musk’s remarks, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt responded:
“The President already knows where Elon Musk stood on this bill,” she said.
“This is one, big, beautiful bill. And he’s sticking to it.”
The legislation also includes a renewal of the 2017 Trump-era tax cuts, increased funding for defense, and resources to carry out the administration’s plans for mass deportations of undocumented immigrants. It proposes raising the debt ceiling to $4 trillion to support these initiatives.