Elon Musk explodes on Donald Trump’s spending bill, says ‘shame on those who voted for it’

Early Wednesday, Elon Musk issued a stark warning, stating, “If massive deficit spending keeps up, we’ll reach a point where the government can only afford interest payments—nothing more.”

His statement followed a strongly worded post on Tuesday by the former head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), who declared, “I’m done. This bloated, pork-laden Congressional spending bill is a disgrace.” He condemned lawmakers who supported the bill, saying, “Shame on those in the House who voted for it.”

Musk’s criticisms of the bill—dubbed the “big, beautiful bill” by some Republicans—have escalated in recent days, including comments he made during an interview on CBS News Sunday Morning. His comments align with rising concerns in the Senate, where the bill’s future remains uncertain. A recent Congressional Budget Office (CBO) analysis estimates the House-passed version would add $2.4 trillion to the national deficit over the next decade.

Meanwhile, DOGE—the agency once led by Musk—has itself faced scrutiny. Despite initial promises of significant cost-cutting, the agency has failed to deliver the level of savings Musk pledged. The limited cuts it did enact have sparked backlash.

Musk’s political stance and close ties with former President Trump were once seen as beneficial to Tesla, particularly due to the company’s involvement with government agencies like NASA and the Department of Transportation. But his increasingly partisan comments and alignment with Trump have begun to alienate some Tesla customers, especially following recent anti-Musk protests at Tesla showrooms across the U.S.

Adding to Tesla’s challenges is a weakening demand in the EU and growing competition in the robotaxi space. Tesla is preparing for a major autonomous vehicle test in Austin on June 12, a pivotal moment for the company as much of its valuation hinges on success in this sector.

In contrast, Alphabet’s Waymo continues to dominate, now logging 250,000 robotaxi trips weekly, reinforcing its lead in the autonomous driving market.

On the traditional automotive front, Tesla’s international sales reports have been mixed. A standout exception is Australia, where the company recorded 3,897 deliveries in May—the highest in nearly a year—driven by the refreshed Model Y, which saw sales jump 122.5% year-over-year.

Despite that success, Tesla’s overall year-to-date sales in Australia remain down 48.2%, and Model 3 deliveries plunged 83.8% in May. Still, the strong performance of the updated Model Y offers a potential sign of recovery for Tesla’s core EV business in that market, where it remains the leading electric vehicle brand.