Musk vs Trump: As tensions escalate between Elon Musk and Donald Trump over the “Big Beautiful Bill,” US Vice President JD Vance has stepped in to defend the controversial legislation while acknowledging that “it’s not a perfect bill”. Speaking on the This Past Weekend podcast with comedian Theo Von, Vance addressed Musk’s mounting criticism and explained the bill’s intent amid growing backlash.
What Vance said on the “Big Beautiful Bill”?
JD Vance emphasised that while the bill may not satisfy everyone—especially business leaders like Musk—its primary goal is to cut tax, not to cut spending. “It’s a good bill,” Vance stated. “It’s not a perfect bill. But extending the tax cuts is critical to supporting American workers and job creators.”
His remarks came after Musk, the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, launched a scathing public campaign against the bill, calling it a “disgusting abomination” and warning that it would explode the federal deficit.
Musk has warned of fiscal deficit
Musk has used his platform on X (formerly Twitter) to galvanise opposition to the bill. In a viral post, he urged Americans to pressure their lawmakers, writing, “Call your Senator, Call your Congressman. Bankrupting America is NOT ok! KILL the BILL.”
He added that the legislation “contains the largest increase in the debt ceiling in US history,” calling it “the Debt Slavery Bill.”
In an interview with CBS on May 28, Musk quipped: “I think a bill can be big or it could be beautiful. But I don’t know if it can be both.” He argued that the bill undermines the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which he helped shape as part of Trump’s economic advisory team.
What Trump said on Musk’s opposition to his policy?
In a June 5 phone interview with NBC, Trump pushed back against Musk’s criticism, accusing the tech billionaire of hypocrisy. “He knew the inner workings of the bill better than anybody sitting here,” Trump said. “All of a sudden he had a problem—and he only developed that problem when he found out we’re going to cut the EV mandate.”
Musk fires back
Musk wasted no time responding. “False,” he wrote in a post on X. “This bill was never shown to me even once and was passed in the dead of night so fast that almost no one in Congress could even read it!”
The back-and-forth has revealed deeper rifts between Musk and Trump, who were once perceived as allies. Musk resigned from Trump’s DOGE Council earlier this month, citing policy disagreements and personal disillusionment.
Despite the very public feud, JD Vance urged both sides to de-escalate. “The president doesn’t think he needs to be in a blood feud with Elon Musk,” Vance said. “He’s been very restrained, but understandably frustrated.”