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Billionaire Elon Musk has openly criticized the centerpiece of President Donald Trump's legislative agenda, marking a significant departure from their previously strong alliance. The prominent entrepreneur, who supported Trump's candidacy with contributions totaling at least $250 million and served as a senior adviser within the administration, expressed his disappointment with the legislation. Musk referred to the bill, which combines tax cuts and enhanced immigration enforcement, as a "massive spending bill" that would inflate the federal deficit and undermine efforts to improve governmental efficiency.

In a recent interview with CBS, Musk elaborated on his concerns, stating that the bill diverges from his vision for the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), an initiative he had hoped would cut $1 trillion in federal spending. "I think a bill can be big or it could be beautiful," Musk commented. "But I don't know if it could be both." The billionaire's critical stance came as a surprise to many, given his past enthusiasm for reforming Washington and his effusive praise of Trump during the campaign.

The legislative debate is currently heating up in the Senate, after Republicans successfully advanced the bill through the House. Despite Musk's vocal opposition, it remains uncertain what impact his criticisms will have on the final outcome. Trump continues to hold significant sway within the Republican Party, and lawmakers have largely aligned with his agenda.

Musk's disillusionment with the federal bureaucracy was evident in his remarks to The Washington Post, where he acknowledged that the challenges were greater than he had anticipated. "The federal bureaucracy situation is much worse than I realized," he admitted.

The Congressional Budget Office has projected that the tax provisions would increase federal deficits by $3.8 trillion over a decade, while proposed spending reductions on Medicaid, food stamps, and other services would total just over $1 trillion. House Republican leaders argue that the bill's tax cuts will spur economic growth sufficient to offset the deficit increases, though watchdog organizations such as the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget estimate the bill would add $3 trillion to the national debt over the next ten years.