Elon Musk finds 50% cut to NASA's science budget ‘troubling’ as he takes swipe at another Trump policy

WASHINGTON, DC: Elon Musk has continued to take a dig at President Donald Trump’s new policies after a report claimed that his budget proposal would cut NASA’s science funding by 50 per cent.

Replying to a tweet by space journalist Eric Berger, who shared the link of his report titled ‘Trump White House budget proposal eviscerates science funding at NASA’, the Tesla CEO wrote, “Troubling.”

“I am very much in favor of science, but unfortunately cannot participate in NASA budget discussions, due to SpaceX being a major contractor to NASA,” he added.

NASA would receive ‘$3.9 billion for the coming fiscal year’

As per Berger’s article, published in tech outlet Ars Technica, “According to the ‘passback’ documents given to NASA officials on Thursday, the space agency's science programs would receive nearly a 50 percent cut in funding.”

“After the agency received $7.5 billion for science in fiscal-year 2025, the Trump administration has proposed a science topline budget of just $3.9 billion for the coming fiscal year,” it added.

Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md) also showed his disapproval of the cuts.

“This is a wholly unserious budget proposal. In my role on the Appropriations CJS Subcommittee, I will fight tooth and nail against these cuts and to protect the critical work being done at NASA Goddard,” he said, as per Politico.

Elon Musk publicly slammed Trump's tariff advisor Peter Navarro 

Musk’s recent disagreement came after he slammed Peter Navarro over Trump’s infamous “Liberation Day” tariffs.

He called the economist “a moron,” before adding, “What he says here is demonstrably false.”

In a followup tweet, the billionaire wrote, “Tesla has the most American-made cars. Navarro is dumber than a sack of bricks. @IfindRetards @RealPNavarro.”

“By any definition whatsoever, Tesla is the most vertically integrated auto manufacturer in America with the highest percentage of US content. Navarro should ask the fake expert he invented, Ron Vara,” he asserted in a new tweet.

Is Elon Musk leaving DOGE?

Meanwhile, a Politico report published earlier in April said that Musk will soon be saying goodbye to his lead role at the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

The report even claimed that Trump informed his officials and aides about it. But White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt hit back at the report.

In a post on X, she wrote, “This ‘scoop’ is garbage. Elon Musk and President Trump have both *publicly* stated that Elon will depart from public service as a special government employee when his incredible work at DOGE is complete.”