CNN’s chief data analyst Harry Enten revealed why Elon Musk has torched Donald Trump’s “big, beautiful bill”: It would run the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, out of dodge.
Enten outlined to CNN’s John Berman the impact the Republican mega bill would have on the deficit, raising it by $2 trillion over the next 10 years. Meanwhile, the White House has asked Congress to cut roughly $9 billion in approved federal spending, a far cry from Musk’s initial $2 trillion promise or his revised $1 trillion estimate.
“You don‘t have to be a mathematical genius to know that $9 billion comes anywhere close to $2 trillion,” Enten said. “So all of DOGE’s work they would send, at least a part of it, to Congress gets completely wiped out, wiped off the map by the big, beautiful bill. No wonder Elon Musk is so upset.”
Top congressional Republicans have feuded with Musk since the Tesla and SpaceX provocateur called the bill a “disgusting abomination” in an X post on Tuesday.
Speaker Mike Johnson said Musk’s outburst was “very disappointing” and “very surprising,” as he said Musk appeared to understand the bill during a Monday phone call.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune told reporters on Tuesday that, while he respected the work Musk did with DOGE, he and Musk had a “difference of opinion” on the legislation.
“My hope is that as he has an opportunity to further assess what this bill actually does, that he’ll come to a different conclusion,” Thune said. “But nevertheless, I mean, we have a job to do.”
Enten said on Wednesday that Musk’s opinion carried more weight than the Republican leaders, as polls showed his popularity (63 percent) soared ahead of Thune (30 percent) and Johnson (46 percent) with Republicans.
“If Musk is taking on these two gentlemen, it‘s not a fair fight,” Enten said. “Elon Musk is a very popular dude.”
However, Musk may have more trouble taking on Trump directly, Enten said. Trump has a 79 percent favorability rating with Republicans, far ahead of Musk.
“If Donald Trump decides to turn his fire on Elon Musk, that is a fight that Elon Musk simply cannot win,” Enten said.
Trump has remained silent on Musk since the Tuesday outburst, leaving him spared from Truth Social attacks that have targeted everyone from Republican Sen. Rand Paul to Chinese President Xi Jingping to Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters on Tuesday that Trump still supported the bill regardless of where his billionaire ally stands.
“Look, the president already knows where Elon Musk stood on this bill. It doesn’t change the president’s opinion,” Leavitt told reporters during today’s White House press briefing. “This is one big, beautiful bill, and he’s sticking to it.”
