President Donald Trump is reportedly running out of patience with Elon Musk following the billionaire’s sharp criticism of his high-profile tax and spending bill, according to a Wall Street Journal report released Wednesday.
The criticism, which reportedly took Trump and his team by surprise, included Musk describing the legislation—one of Trump’s signature efforts—as a “pork-filled… disgusting abomination.” Musk’s comments came despite having worked closely with the White House over the past four months, leaving Trump confused by the sudden backlash, the report said, citing a senior administration official.
A key source of Musk’s frustration appears to be Trump’s recent decision to withdraw the nomination of Jared Isaacman, a close ally of Musk, to lead NASA. According to the WSJ, Musk viewed the reversal as a betrayal, particularly after contributing hundreds of millions of dollars to support Trump’s election campaign. This snub may have fueled his willingness to publicly attack the tax bill.
Musk criticized the bill for increasing government spending and worsening the federal deficit. He doubled down on his opposition by urging his more than 200 million followers on X to contact lawmakers and demand they “KILL the BILL.”
Though Trump and Musk have exchanged public praise in the past, tensions have reportedly been simmering behind the scenes. Musk has previously opposed Trump’s trade policies and has clashed with figures in Trump’s circle, including a public dispute with trade adviser Peter Navarro earlier this year.
The WSJ report follows news that Musk’s role with the government concluded nearly a week ago. He had been leading the Department of Government Efficiency, a short-lived initiative tasked with reducing federal spending by $2 trillion—a goal it ultimately fell far short of achieving.
