Reader discretion is advised.
In a surprising move, billionaire Elon Musk has publicly backed down on his support for President Trump’s tax and spending bill, citing concerns that it would increase the national debt. The massive legislation includes multi-trillion dollar tax breaks, increased defense spending, and a pledge to boost military might.
The US House of Representatives has narrowly passed a tax and spending bill that promises billions in cuts to the federal budget.
The legislation includes multi-trillion dollar tax breaks, increased defence spending, and a pledge to boost military might.
The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), signed into law by President Donald Trump in December 2017, was a comprehensive tax reform bill.
It lowered corporate and individual tax rates, doubled the standard deduction, and limited state and local tax deductions.
The bill also increased the child tax credit to $2,000 per child.
According to the Joint Committee on Taxation, the TCJA would reduce federal revenue by approximately $1.5 trillion over ten years.
Critics argue that the bill primarily benefits corporations and high-income earners, while proponents claim it boosts economic growth.
Elon Musk, a key advisor to President Trump on cost-cutting measures, expressed his disappointment with the plan during an interview with CBS Sunday Morning. He argued that the bill would increase the national debt, rather than reduce it.
Elon Musk is a South African-born entrepreneur and business magnate.
He co-founded 'PayPal' , SpaceX, Tesla, Neuralink, and The Boring Company.
Musk's innovative ventures have disrupted multiple industries, including space exploration, electric cars, and renewable energy.
He has also been involved in various high-profile projects, such as the Hyperloop transportation system and Starlink satellite internet.
With a net worth of over $200 billion, Musk is one of the richest people in the world.
The massive spending bill is expected to grow the deficit by around $600bn in the next fiscal year alone. This means that the government will be spending significantly more than it receives in revenue, leading to a larger national debt.
The national debt, also known as government debt or public debt, is the total amount of money borrowed by a country's government to fund its expenditures.
It includes debts owed to domestic and foreign creditors, such as banks, pension funds, and individual investors.
As of 2022, the United States' national debt stands at over $31 trillion, making it one of the largest in the world.
The national debt can be financed through various means, including taxation, inflation, and debt issuance.
Musk felt that the bill undermined the work he had done with Trump to cut costs and reduce federal spending. He claimed that the plan would ‘undermine the work of the Doge team‘, which was established to help the president achieve his goal of cutting $1tn from the budget.
The billionaire entrepreneur has been a vocal supporter of Trump‘s policies, but it seems he may be growing increasingly at odds with the president over this issue. Musk recently announced that he would be stepping back from his role as head of Doge, which had already achieved significant savings of around $175bn.
Musk‘s comments on the bill are a sign of the ongoing tension within Trump‘s Republican Party over spending policies. The legislation has faced opposition from different wings of the party, and it remains to be seen how it will fare in the Senate.
In related news, Musk has announced plans to cut back on his own political spending in the future. He has also expressed a commitment to leading Tesla for another five years, despite facing controversy over his role as CEO.
