THE DML REPORT

BEING BEAUTIFUL

“If everyday people like you and I spent more money than we took in, it would be ugly because we’d be living on the streets. Our government is on that sorta path, but they ignore the beauty of the truth.” — DML

IT IS CERTAINLY BIG, BUT IT AIN’T BEAUTIFUL

If you listened to my podcast over the last couple of months—before I retired it last week—you heard me predict that the relationship between Elon Musk and President Trump wouldn’t last. Two strong personalities like theirs can’t coexist as Batman and Robin, because neither wants to play Robin.

This week, Elon Musk took to X, slamming Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill, making people wonder if the bromance is over. Elon wrote:

• “I’m sorry, but I just can’t stand it anymore. This massive, outrageous, pork-filled Congressional spending bill is a disgusting abomination. Shame on those who voted for it: you know you did wrong. You know it.”

• “It will massively increase the already gigantic budget deficit to $2.5 trillion (!!!) and burden America citizens with crushingly unsustainable debt.”

• “In November next year, we fire all politicians who betrayed the American people.”

• “Call your Senator, Call your Congressman, Bankrupting America is NOT ok! KILL the BILL.”

• “America is in the fast lane to debt slavery.”

• “A new spending bill should be drafted that doesn’t massively grow the deficit and increase the debt ceiling by 5 TRILLION DOLLARS.”

I side with Musk on this.
The bill promotes excessively high spending, which isn’t what MAGA voters supported in 2024. We voted for smaller government, fewer regulations, secure borders, deportations, a strong military, lower inflation, new jobs, withdrawal from third-party wars we shouldn’t fund, better infrastructure, and freedom from Big Tech censorship. We also demanded lower taxes and an end to frivolous spending.

Less than 150 days into this administration, we’ve seen progress: border security is improving, DEI initiatives are being shelved, inflation is slowly declining, the markets and economy seem stable, censorship has lessened, and the military is getting back on track. But we’re far from the finish line, and radical courts bear much of the blame. That said, the Big Beautiful Bill is the GOP’s doing—not the Democrats’ or judges’. I’m surprised at the amount of money this administration wants to spend. They can do better.

For example, the on-again, off-again tariffs seem erratic and undermine confidence at home and abroad. Why not set a single tariff rate and stick to it? Let’s stop making deals with the Middle East that bring in AI-focused money today but risk our culture and homeland tomorrow. And how about addressing healthcare and the insane premiums we face? The list is long, but if handled correctly, this administration could be the greatest in history—Trump is a legend in the making. Yet, just as he was misled in his first term by so-called experts who pushed him to appoint judges who turned out to be closet liberals, this bill sets him up to fail. It’s too big. I hope this isn’t solely his idea and that bad advice from within his circle is to blame. With all due respect, President Trump needs to step back and reconsider. The bill may have some diamonds in the rough, but as a whole, it’s a losing proposition.

This battle between billionaires was predictable, but it goes deeper — this is about America more than it is about two guys who deserve a ton of respect. And although I often side with Trump in his fights against the establishment, in this case he is captured by them. The DC establishment loves to spend money they do not have, and in the process screw future generations. Trump is not the establishment, right? So, he needs to be smarter. Thus, Musk is correct: the Big Beautiful Bill will have devastating impacts on our children and grandchildren, both in the short term and long after we’re gone.

MAGA, this doesn’t need to be complicated! 
Let’s return to the basics: smaller government, less spending, fewer regulations, and a laser focus on America First. How can Trump and the GOP promise tax cuts while spending more than we take in? Are we borrowing from China again? Unless every nation bows to 150% tariffs—which won’t happen—the math in this bill doesn’t add up, no matter who’s president. As a wildly successful businessman, Elon knows this. So, I ask you, the reader: before you turn on Musk and back a bill that uses your tax dollars to fund pork, remember how thrilled you were—along with me and Trump—when Elon exposed fraud, overspending, waste, and corruption just a few months ago. What happened to the Trump guy who told the world Elon was brilliant for cutting trillions (that turned out to be billions due to congress and courts), I wonder?

The Big Beautiful Bill needs to be ripped up, then broken into smaller prettier bills, and ultimately stripped of the ugly fiscal damage it causes. Trump’s heart and head may be in the right place—his drive to fulfill the Make America Great Again promise is admirable—but the bill, as written, isn’t the best path. There are smarter ways to cut and build simultaneously. For starters, Trump should mandate e-Verify. It would accelerate self-deportations, boost American workers’ pay, and lower local tax burdens, to name a few benefits.

I hope Congress rethinks this before sending the Big Beautiful Bill to Trump’s desk. And I pray Trump reflects on what drew him to Elon in the first place. A pencil has an eraser for a reason—we all make mistakes. The question is whether our leaders have the wisdom to use it.

Side Note: I’m on a staycation this week, at home, planning the next steps for TeamDML and writing my new book. I’m publishing this to keep you updated. I’ll resume the newsletters, DML Report, and DML Health daily starting Monday. As you know, the 47 Report continues to be published each day.

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MY FAVORITE READER COMMENT FROM MY PREVIOUS NEWSLETTER:

In reaction to the Colorado terror attack carried out by an illegal alien from the Middle East… “We are not racist for wanting these people out of our country.....we just want our country and Americans to be safe!” — Laurie Pirdusky