Trump Blasts Elon Musk After Billionaire Slams “Big, Beautiful” Tax Bill

Former President Donald Trump issued a scathing response Thursday to billionaire Elon Musk, who criticized Trump’s hallmark “One Big Beautiful Bill,” a sweeping tax and spending measure signed into law earlier this month. Musk, known for his often-unfiltered social media commentary, called the bill “fiscally irresponsible” and “a setback for innovation,” prompting an unexpectedly sharp reply from the former president.

The Spark: Musk’s Public Rebuke

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Musk lambasted the tax package, which dramatically cuts corporate tax rates while expanding defense and infrastructure spending. “We cannot innovate our way into the future by mortgaging it,” Musk wrote. “This bill adds trillions to the deficit and guts clean energy incentives. It’s the opposite of what we need.”

The Tesla and SpaceX CEO, who served as an informal advisor to Trump during his first term and briefly led the controversial Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) task force, said he was “deeply disappointed” by the legislation. “We used to talk about fiscal responsibility,” Musk added. “Now we’re just printing money for walls and tanks.”

Trump’s Blistering Counterattack

Trump, never one to back down from criticism, returned fire with characteristic bravado. Speaking at a rally in Scottsdale, Arizona, the former president dismissed Musk’s remarks as “a bunch of tech talk nonsense.”

“Elon used to be smart,” Trump told the crowd. “But now he’s just another liberal billionaire who wants subsidies for his electric toys. He doesn’t understand real economics. This is the best tax bill in American history—big, beautiful, and bold. It’s putting money back in people’s pockets, not handing it to Silicon Valley elites.”

Trump claimed the bill would unleash American energy, stimulate job growth, and “Make the Dollar Great Again,” a slogan that has recently joined his political arsenal.

The “One Big Beautiful Bill”

The legislation in question, dubbed the “One Big Beautiful Bill” by Trump himself, is a sweeping economic package combining tax reform, infrastructure investments, and a restructuring of several federal agencies. Key features include:

• A reduction of the corporate tax rate from 21% to 15%

• Expansion of military spending by $400 billion over 10 years

• Elimination of several green energy tax credits

• Introduction of a national flat tax for individual income above $150,000

• Repeal of estate tax provisions introduced in the 2022 fiscal adjustment package

Supporters say the bill will reinvigorate American manufacturing, improve border security through increased Homeland Security funding, and restore U.S. dominance in defense technology.

Critics, however, argue it massively increases the national debt—adding an estimated $2.3 trillion over the next decade—and disproportionately benefits corporations and the wealthy.

Tech Titans Divided

Musk’s criticism is not without support among his peers. Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai and Apple’s Tim Cook have both expressed “concerns” about the bill’s effects on innovation and clean tech.

“Rolling back EV incentives while increasing fossil fuel subsidies sends the wrong signal,” Cook said during a recent summit in San Jose. “We need a smarter, not louder, economic strategy.”

Yet not all Silicon Valley voices are in opposition. Peter Thiel, a longtime Trump ally, praised the bill as “a masterstroke of populist economic policy” and dismissed Musk’s complaints as “corporate virtue signaling.”

“Tesla’s entire model was built on government support,” Thiel said. “Now Elon wants to lecture us about budgets?”

A Personal Rift?

Insiders close to both men say the friction may go beyond policy. Musk reportedly turned down an invitation to co-chair Trump’s re-election economic advisory board last month. One aide described Musk’s relationship with Trump as “cold, complicated, and competitive.”

“Elon doesn’t like being told what to do,” the aide said. “And Trump doesn’t like being told he’s wrong.”

There may also be lingering tension from Musk’s DOGE task force tenure, which ended abruptly in 2024 after internal clashes over budget authority and data transparency. Musk had championed AI-driven cuts to federal spending, but many of his proposals were scrapped in the final bill.

Fallout and Future Moves

Trump’s base has rallied behind him, with conservative pundits praising his takedown of Musk as a “reminder that the America First agenda isn’t beholden to billionaires.”

However, Musk’s criticism could resonate with independent voters and fiscal conservatives, especially those wary of runaway deficits. Senator Rand Paul and Representative Thomas Massie have already echoed Musk’s concerns, with Massie calling the bill “Republican big government on steroids.”

Meanwhile, Musk hinted he may take more direct action. In a follow-up post, he teased launching a “nonpartisan innovation PAC” to back candidates “serious about science, debt reduction, and the future.”

“I don’t care if you’re left, right, or Martian,” Musk posted. “We need real leadership.”

The Broader Implications

As the 2026 midterm elections loom, the Trump-Musk split could have wide-reaching consequences. Trump, who remains the GOP’s most influential figure, is preparing a return to the national stage with a 2028 campaign widely anticipated. Musk, for his part, continues to wield enormous cultural and financial clout, with over 200 million followers on X and substantial sway among younger voters.

The clash of titans signals a deeper divide within conservative politics—between populist economic nationalism and tech-savvy libertarianism.

Whether this feud fades or festers may depend on how the “Big Beautiful” bill performs in practice. For now, both men seem unwilling to back down—and the American public is left watching two of its most powerful figures trade barbs over the future of fiscal policy.