United States President Donald Trump has brushed aside criticism of his wide-ranging budget bill, known as the One Big Beautiful Bill, from government adviser Elon Musk. Trump faced questions about Musk’s comments, which suggested the bill would balloon the national debt.
“We will be negotiating that bill, and I’m not happy about certain aspects of it, but I’m thrilled by other aspects of it,” Trump said. “That’s the way they go.” The bill contains a range of domestic policy priorities for the Trump administration, including legislation cementing some of the tax cuts Trump championed during his first term as president in 2017.
The bill would also increase funds available for Trump’s “mass deportation” effort and heightened security along the US-Mexico border, with $46.5 billion earmarked to renew construction of the southern border wall and other barriers. However, critics fear that the bill’s measures, such as strict work requirements on programmes like Medicaid and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), would drive some families deeper into poverty.
Musk expressed frustration with the bill’s cost, echoing criticism from fiscal conservatives. “I was, like, disappointed to see the massive spending bill, frankly, which increases the budget deficit, not decrease it, and undermines the work that the DOGE team is doing,” Musk told CBS. “I think a bill can be big or it can be beautiful. I don’t know if it could be both. My personal opinion.”
The bill has sparked controversy, with some Republicans voicing opposition to the increase in the national debt and others fearing the effects of Medicaid restrictions on their constituents. Trump has tried to frame the bill’s tax cuts as a boon to lower-income people, though critics point out those cuts are poised to deliver the biggest savings to the wealthy.
“We’ll have the lowest tax rate we’ve ever had in the history of our country,” Trump said. “Tremendous amounts of benefits are going to the middle-income people of our country, low- and middle-income people of our country.” The bill’s fate remains uncertain as it is being considered by the Senate, where Republicans can only afford to lose three votes if they hope to pass the bill.