Donald Trump issues savage response to Elon Musk

President Donald Trump has criticized Elon Musk, expressing disappointment over his former ally’s comments on the administration’s latest legislation, dubbed the “big beautiful bill.” Once seen as close allies during the early months of Trump’s return to office, their relationship appears strained after Musk resigned from his role as a ‘special government employee’—a part-time advisory position—three days before schedule. The exit came just a day after Musk publicly criticized the bill. Speaking from the Oval Office on June 5, Trump said he was surprised by Musk’s remarks, adding that the tech mogul had previously spoken highly of him and was deeply involved in the bill’s development.

In response, Musk denied ever seeing the bill, posting on Twitter that it was passed quickly and without proper review. He also criticized the bill during a CBS interview, saying it increased the budget deficit and conflicted with the goals of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which he led. Musk added that while a bill could be “big” or “beautiful,” it was unlikely to be both. The bill includes multi-trillion dollar tax breaks and a major defense boost, such as Trump’s proposed “Golden Dome” missile defense system, but could raise government spending by \$600 billion.