Donald Trump says ‘disappointed’ by Elon Musk’s criticism of tax-cut bill: ‘I’ve helped him a lot’

US President Donald Trump on Thursday said that he is “very disappointed” in Elon Musk after the billionaire turned on the Republican tax bill.

Elon Musk shakes hands with President Donald Trump at the finals for the NCAA wrestling championship on March 22, 2025, in Philadelphia.(AP)

Trump suggested the world’s richest man misses being in the White House and has “Trump derangement syndrome”, according to the Associated Press.

“I’m very disappointed in Elon,” Donald Trump said. “I’ve helped Elon a lot.”

Trump’s criticism of Elon Musk, a powerful ally of his, comes days after the Tesla CEO had dubbed the American president’s spending bill as “a disgusting abomination”.

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“I’m sorry, but I just can’t stand it anymore. This massive, outrageous, pork-filled Congressional spending bill is a disgusting abomination. Shame on those who voted for it: you know you did wrong. You know it,” Musk wrote on X.

Further ramping up his criticism of the bill, Elon Musk on Wednesday urged people to contact their lawmakers to ” kill” the legislation. In another post on X, Musk called the legislation ‘the Debt Slavery Bill’.

“This spending bill contains the largest increase in the debt ceiling in US history! It is the Debt Slavery Bill,” he wrote.

Musk’s public condemnation has come at a time when Trump is personally lobbying the Republicans on the bill in the Senate. The Tesla and SpaceX CEOs’ campaign against the bill has also helped other voices rise and stiffen up the resistance, potentially delaying the enactment of the tax cuts and debt ceiling increase.

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So far, the White House has downplayed Musk’s public criticism of the bill, saying that the President will not change his opinion on it.

“The president already knows where Elon Musk stood on this bill. It doesn’t change the President’s opinion. This is one big beautiful bill and he is sticking to it,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt had told reporters.