Elon Musk Blasts MAGA Bill That Guts Clean Energy While Preserving Big Oil Subsidies

 

Elon Musk Clashes with Trump Over MAGA Bill That Slashes Clean Energy Credits

The long-anticipated clash between Elon Musk and Donald Trump is escalating. Musk, the billionaire tech mogul and CEO of Tesla, has come out strongly against a key MAGA-backed bill that guts vital clean energy tax credits—credits essential for America’s energy independence and clean tech growth.

"The abrupt end to energy tax credits would jeopardize America’s energy independence and compromise grid reliability," reads a statement from Tesla Energy, which Musk reposted on his personal X account. "We urge the Senate to adopt a responsible phase-out of credits like 25D and 48E. Doing so would sustain the rapid deployment of over 60 gigawatts of capacity annually—vital for AI development and domestic manufacturing."

One X user replied to Musk’s post with a pointed question:

“Are oil and fossil fuel tax credits ending?” they asked. “Because it doesn’t look like it. Slashing solar credits is unjust, especially considering the real human cost of blackouts and storm damage. You can’t replace a human life.”

Musk didn’t mince words:

“There is no change to tax incentives for oil & gas, just EV/solar,” he confirmed.

And of course there aren’t. The Republican Party, long funded by fossil fuel interests, remains loyal to oil and gas giants. Trump continues to peddle climate denial—dismissing the climate crisis as a "Chinese hoax"—even as the consequences grow more dire.

Musk tried to downplay the fallout, reposting claims that he and Trump remain on good terms and noting that his departure from a government advisory role was simply the end of his term as a “Special Government Employee.” But the tension is obvious: Trump’s MAGA agenda threatens not only Musk’s clean energy businesses, but the broader global effort to fight climate change.

In a recent CBS interview, Musk was even more candid about his disappointment.

“I was disappointed to see the massive spending bill, frankly—it increases the budget deficit, not decreases it, and undermines the efforts of the [DOE] team,” he said.

“A bill can be big or it can be beautiful,” Musk added, “but I don’t know if it can be both.”

As problematic as Musk can be, he’s not wrong to criticize this bill—it’s a disaster. In addition to gutting crucial clean energy tax credits, the legislation explodes the national debt with giveaways to the ultra-rich and balloons the Pentagon budget to over $1 trillion. According to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, the bill would add $3.8 trillion to the deficit.

It also slashes Medicaid, putting health care access at risk for millions. The CBO estimates that about 8 million Americans could lose their health coverage over the next decade.

And the rollback of clean energy incentives would be devastating. According to Climate Power, repealing these credits could eliminate up to 400,000 jobs and hike energy bills for families and businesses by $51 billion.

The only beneficiaries of this reckless legislation? Billionaires, fossil fuel conglomerates, and the military-industrial complex. Everyone else—our planet included—pays the price.