Top White House aide Stephen Miller has hit back at Elon Musk’s criticism of Donald Trump’s mega-spending bill, appearing to lecture the billionaire entrepreneur about his own DOGE cuts.
The move came hours after Musk expressed concern that the flagship policy of Trump’s second-term agenda undermined the savings his Department of Government Efficiency had sought to make over the past few months.
“I was disappointed to see the massive spending bill, frankly, which increases the budget deficit, not just decreases it, and undermines the work that the DOGE team is doing,” Musk said during an interview with CBS, which is scheduled to run in full on Sunday.
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“I think a bill can be big, or it can be beautiful, but I don’t know if it can be both, in my personal opinion,” he added.
But after the teaser went to air, Miller clapped back on Musk’s social media platform, X.
“DOGE cuts are to discretionary spending. (Eg the federal bureaucracy). Under senate budget rules, you cannot cut discretionary spending (only mandatory) in a reconciliation bill,” the deputy chief of staff wrote.
“So DOGE cuts would have to be done through what is known as a rescissions package or an appropriations bill.”
The Trump-backed “Big Beautiful Bill” passed the House last week despite almost being derailed by hardline Republicans.
After Trump intervened, it passed the House with a single vote, paving the way for much of Trump’s domestic agenda on immigration, tax cuts, and other matters.
But Musk’s rebuke is the latest sign of disagreement between Trump and his so-called first buddy.
Musk launched DOGE, vowing to make savings of about $2 trillion, but now says it has saved taxpayers $160 billion.
To do so, it has shut down or gutted almost a dozen federal agencies, and about 250,000 federal workers have left their jobs.
Despite the cutbacks, total government spending continues to rise. For instance, a preliminary analysis by the independent Congressional Budget Office and the bipartisan Joint Committee on Taxation suggests the tax changes in the megabill could increase the federal deficit by $3.8 trillion - something Miller rejects.
In his slap back on Wednesday morning, Miller added: “The Big Beautiful Bill is NOT an annual budget bill and does not fund the departments of government. It does not finance our agencies or federal programs.
“Instead, it includes the single largest welfare reform in American history. Along with the largest tax cut and reform in American history. The most aggressive energy exploration in American history. And the strongest border bill in American history. All while reducing the deficit.”
It is yet to be seen how Musk’s comments could sway the eventual content of the bill, which faces an uncertain path in the Senate.
But Miller’s comments are not the first time he has been at odds with Musk.
Earlier this year, a MAGA civil war erupted over visas for highly skilled workers, with Trump allies like Musk on one side, while Miller and the anti-immigration MAGA base were on the other.
