The White House said Tuesday that Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s attack on the “One Big Beautiful Bill” has no bearing on the president’s opinion about the legislation.
In the middle of Tuesday’s White House press briefing, Musk took to X to formally trash the bill, which President Donald Trump, Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), and Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) have been working closely together on, as an “abomination.”
“I’m sorry, but I just can’t stand it anymore. This massive, outrageous, pork-filled Congressional spending bill is a disgusting abomination,” Musk, whose time as a special government employee has expired, wrote. “Shame on those who voted for it: you know you did wrong. You know it.”
When asked about Musk’s post, White House press secretary Caroline Leavitt laughed.
“Look, the president already knows where Elon Musk stood on this bill. It doesn’t change the president’s opinion. This is one big beautiful bill and he’s sticking to it,” she said with a smile.
Johnson forcefully responded to Musk on Tuesday as well.
“With all due respect, my friend Elon is terribly wrong about the one big, beautiful bill,” Johnson told reporters, noting he had a friendly call with Musk yesterday, per Politico:
Johnson said he discussed with Musk the accelerated repeal of many green subsidies in the House version of the bill, something Musk has voiced opposition to in recent days.
“But for him to come out and pan the whole bill, to me, is just very disappointing — very surprising in light of the conversation I had with him yesterday,” Johnson said.
This is not the first time Musk has trashed the bill.
He told CBS Sunday Morning on May 27 that he was “disappointed” by spending in the bill, contending it “undermines the work that the DOGE team is doing.”
“I think a bill can be big or it can be beautiful,” Musk said, “but I don’t know if it can be both. My personal opinion.”
DOGE cuts are notably to discretionary spending, which cannot be cut through the reconciliation vehicle through which Republicans are moving the “One Big Beautiful Bill,” as White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller pointed out last week.
“So DOGE cuts would have to be done through what is known as a rescissions package or an appropriations bill,” he added.
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