President Donald Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” which includes about $1 trillion in cuts to social safety net programs, is drawing fire not only from expected critics but also from unexpected quarters, including Elon Musk and hardline Republicans. Musk, in remarks to CBS, expressed his “disappointment” with the bill’s “massive spending,” which he believes undermines his cost-cutting efforts, while some Republicans are demanding even deeper cuts to reduce the national debt.
The bill’s provisions to cut benefits aimed at supporting struggling households, such as Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), have put Trump on politically sensitive ground. He had previously pledged on the campaign trail to protect these basic safety nets. This move has even prompted warnings from some “make America great again” supporters, including former White House strategist Steve Bannon, and a Missouri senator, Josh Hawley, who called cutting health insurance for the working poor “politically suicidal.”
Musk’s criticism aligns with concerns about the bill’s overall fiscal impact, as it is expected to add $2.3 trillion to the deficit even with the cuts.39 His remarks, combined with the dissent from hardline Republicans like Rand Paul, who labeled the cuts “wimpy and anaemic,” suggest a significant internal struggle within the Republican party regarding the scope and nature of the bill’s fiscal policies. This multifaceted opposition could pose a significant challenge as the legislation moves to the Senate.