Elon Musk appears to be becoming increasingly disapproving of U.S. President Donald Trump, expressing skepticism about one of the President’s policies for the second time. In the newest indication of a growing split, the head of Tesla has referred to Trump’s proposed reductions in the NASA budget as “troubling.”
Elon Musk’s complaint is during a period when there have been rumors that he may retire from his role at the Department of Government Efficiency. “I am a big supporter of science, but unfortunately can’t be engaged in NASA budget planning, because SpaceX is a major contractor to NASA,” Musk wrote, in response to the Office of Management and Budget’s preliminary proposal.
Second, Musk has distanced himself from the party stance on tariffs, frequently being critical of Peter Navarro, one of the main voices of Trump’s trade policy. This came after the administration imposed general tariffs on nations across the globe, resulting in broad market volatility and massive losses for Tesla.
Budget documents reveal that these cuts will affect research as well as programs related to climate change impacts. Congress agreed if cutbacks go through, to fund Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR) at $171 million down from $485 million, devastating a critical part of the agency’s mission.
