(DCNF)—Former State Department official Mike Benz said on Fox News Friday that Elon Musk’s frustration with the ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ seems to go deeper than his personal business interests.

President Donald Trump and Musk clashed publicly Thursday, exchanging attacks and financial threats. During an appearance on “The Will Cain Show,” Benz said that Musk’s frustration stems not from a desire to control the presidency but from his belief that he has earned a place in the political conversation to help shape fiscal policy.

“It’s more that side of it that’s inflaming him. So I don’t really see it as him thinking that he bought the presidency, but that he has sort of earned a place at the table in order to have his vision, you know, at least partially accomplished,” Benz said.

Benz said that the real source of Musk’s anger lies in the failure to secure key fiscal cuts he has long pushed for.

“I think the thing that Musk is most inflamed about is the failure to codify the cuts that he proposed rather than the subsidies for his own businesses. It seems to me that him, you know, identifying $200 billion worth of DOGE fraud and then seeing only $9 billion of it codified in this bill,” Benz said.

Benz said he believes Musk is “sincere” in his push to control deficit spending, seeing it as essential for the nation’s survival.

AMAZING coffee from a Christian company: Promised Grounds tastes incredible, is ethically sourced, and proceeds go to missionary work. Drink faithfully!

“And I know that there are promises that there will be additional bills to do this, but I believe that Musk is sincere in his idea that we need to control deficit spending in order to actually have a country again,” Benz added.

Trump said that Musk’s criticism of the bill only surfaced after learning it removed the EV mandate, suggesting the conflict was rooted in financial motives rather than principle. In response, Musk took to X, rejecting Trump’s claims and saying he had never even seen the bill, which he criticized for being rushed through Congress “in the dead of night.”

Shortly after his 2024 election victory, Trump appointed Musk to head the Department of Government Efficiency, tasking the tech mogul with fulfilling his promise to cut wasteful federal spending. By the end of May, Musk announced that his tenure as a special government employee had ended, marking the end of a highly controversial period that saw strong opposition from Democrats, particularly after his team moved to dismantle the U.S. Agency for International Development.

(Featured Image Media Credit Screenshot/Fox News)

All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact [email protected].

At Last, a Company With Integrity in the Gold IRA Industry

For several years, I’ve been vetting out precious metals companies in search of the best. I believe in gold and silver but it’s hard to find integrity in the Gold IRA industry. The vast majority operate with shady tactics and gigantic spreads that take advantage of Americans who simply want to protect their life’s savings.

I’ve found a handful that I like and I’ve worked with some of them. By no means would I “unrecommend” them because, again, I vetted them out and found them to be above the fold. Unfortunately, it isn’t hard to be better than the rest when the rest are so darn awful.

After years of searching, I finally found a company that truly operates with integrity. Augusta Precious Metals has three important attributes that set them far above the competition:

Non-Commissioned Sales Team: I cannot stress how important and unique this is. With just about every other company in the Gold IRA industry, the sales teams make commission from every account they open. This means they steer their clients toward the gold and silver products with the highest commission. With Augusta Precious Metals, the team is solely focused on putting the best gold and silver for their clients into their IRA. They get paid to serve the best interests of the Gold IRA client, NOT their own commission pay.

Incredibly Low Fees: Most Americans would be shocked if they knew the spread other Gold IRA companies charge. Augusta charges just 5% versus up to 45% elsewhere.

No Pressure, No Gimmicks: There’s an understanding among most in the Gold IRA industry that fear and pressure is the way to go. Augusta Precious Metals takes a sober approach when working with clients because they hold integrity in the highest possible regard. This is why they don’t offer gimmicks like “free” or “bonus” silver. It’s also why they do not apply pressure tactics to get quick sales. Their educational and transparent approach to doing business is exceedingly rare in the Gold IRA industry.

Reach out to Augusta Precious Metals to learn more about protecting your wealth and retirement with physical precious metals.