Tech billionaire Elon Musk has renewed his sharp criticism of US President Donald Trump’s controversial tax and spending bill, warning that the proposed legislation would imperil American jobs and damage emerging industries as it faces a crucial vote in the Senate.
“The latest Senate draft bill will destroy millions of jobs in America and cause immense strategic harm to our country,” Musk posted on X on Saturday, coinciding with his birthday. “It gives handouts to industries of the past while severely damaging industries of the future.”
The Senate is expected to vote shortly on whether to begin formal debate on the nearly 1,000-page legislation, which the Trump administration has dubbed its “big, beautiful bill” and is eager to pass ahead of the Fourth of July holiday.
Musk, who served briefly as the head of the Department of Government Efficiency before resigning last month, has previously expressed disdain for the bill. In earlier remarks this month, he referred to the legislation as “pork-filled” and “a disgusting abomination”.
“Shame on those who voted for it: you know you did wrong. You know it,” Musk had written on X in a post widely circulated among both political and business circles.
Also read: Elon Musk regrets some social media posts he made about Trump
His latest outburst further complicates the efforts of Republican leaders in the Senate, who are reportedly working overtime this weekend to secure enough support to move the bill forward. The legislation promises sweeping tax relief and targeted industry subsidies — a combination critics say benefits legacy sectors while curbing innovation.
The renewed clash also marks another chapter in Musk’s volatile relationship with Trump, with whom he had once shared a close working rapport. Musk has in the past contributed generously to Republican campaigns and was a prominent backer of Trump’s 2024 re-election bid, donating hundreds of millions of dollars.
Yet tensions between the two resurfaced earlier this year when Musk, shortly after leaving the federal post, accused unnamed lawmakers of betraying public trust and threatened to fund challengers to those he claimed had “betrayed the American people”.
He further fuelled controversy by suggesting, without evidence, that Trump had been referenced in files related to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein — a claim that drew a swift rebuke from the president’s allies.
Although Musk later expressed regret for what he termed posts that “went too far”, Trump sought to downplay the spat, telling The New York Post: “Things like that happen. I don't blame him for anything.”
Whether Musk’s fresh salvo will sway Republican senators or reignite open hostilities with the White House remains to be seen. The administration has yet to issue a formal response.
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