On Tuesday, U.S. President Donald Trump indicated he might consider deporting Elon Musk, following the South African-born billionaire’s strong criticism of Trump’s flagship spending bill. Trump also suggested that the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)—which Musk had headed before stepping down in late May—could potentially target the Tesla and SpaceX founder’s government subsidies.
When asked by reporters at the White House if he would consider deporting Musk, Trump responded, “I don’t know. We’ll have to take a look.” He further warned, “We might have to put DOGE on Elon. You know what DOGE is? DOGE is the monster that might have to go back and eat Elon.”
Trump intensified his threat, stating his belief that Musk was attacking his so-called “One Big Beautiful Bill” because he was annoyed that it had removed measures supporting electric vehicles (EVs). “He’s losing his EV mandate. He’s very upset about things, but you know, he could lose a lot more than that, I can tell you right now. Elon can lose a lot more than that,” Trump asserted. Similar comments were made by Trump on his Truth Social network late Monday, where he wrote that “without subsidies, Elon would probably have to close up shop and head back home to South Africa.”
Musk, the world’s wealthiest individual, was Trump’s largest donor in the 2024 election and initially maintained a nearly constant presence alongside the newly elected president. However, they had a bitter public falling out this month over the spending bill. The tech tycoon has since revived his criticisms in recent days, accusing Republicans of abandoning efforts to position the United States at the forefront of the EV and clean energy revolution. Musk has also reiterated his calls for the formation of a new political party, tentatively named the “America Party,” if the bill were to pass.
