President Donald Trump has reignited his feud with billionaire tech entrepreneur Elon Musk, threatening to have him deported to South Africa amid escalating tensions over a controversial tax and budget bill.
Speaking to reporters on July 1, Trump made the dramatic remark just hours after posting on Truth Social that he might order a review of the billions in federal contracts awarded to Musk’s companies. The review, he suggested, could be conducted by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), the federal agency Musk formerly led during Trump’s second term.
“We’ll have to take a look,” Trump said when asked directly if he would deport Musk. “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. Wouldn’t that be terrible? He gets a lot of subsidies.”
Trump’s remarks followed a series of X posts from Musk in which he slammed the president’s so-called “big, beautiful bill” currently under debate in the Senate. Musk, the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, warned that he would support primary challengers against any Republican lawmakers who back the legislation, which he says would add $3.3 trillion to the national debt over the next decade.
“Elon may get more subsidy than any human being in history, by far,” Trump wrote in a 12:34 a.m. Truth Social post. “Without subsidies, Elon would probably have to close up shop and head back home to South Africa. No more rocket launches, satellites, or electric car production — and our country would save a FORTUNE.”
Musk responded less than an hour later on X: “I am literally saying CUT IT ALL. Now.”
The billionaire has opposed the bill largely due to its repeal of electric vehicle (EV) incentives implemented during the Biden administration — a move that aligns with Trump’s own agenda. On his first day in office, Trump rescinded what he termed the “EV mandate,” an EPA regulation requiring auto manufacturers to slash emissions from new light- and medium-duty vehicles by half starting in 2027.
“Elon Musk knew, long before he so strongly endorsed me for President, that I was against the EV mandate,” Trump wrote. “Electric cars are fine, but not everyone should be forced to own one.”
Trump later told reporters: “Elon is very upset that the EV mandate is going to be terminated.”
Musk, a naturalized U.S. citizen since 2002, was born in South Africa and initially came to the United States on a student visa after acquiring Canadian citizenship through his mother.
This latest war of words comes just weeks after Musk appeared to reconcile with Trump, even offering a personal apology for previous public jabs following his exit from the White House in late May. For several months, Musk had served as head of DOGE, tasked with identifying waste and cutting government spending.
On June 30, Musk renewed his call for a new political movement, writing: “It is obvious with the insane spending of this bill, which increases the debt ceiling by a record FIVE TRILLION DOLLARS, that we live in a one-party country – the PORKY PIG PARTY! Time for a new political party that actually cares about the people.”
Trump had previously threatened to cut federal support for Musk’s companies during an earlier fallout in June. Over the past two decades, Musk’s ventures — including SpaceX and Tesla — have secured over $38 billion in government contracts, tax credits, loans, and subsidies, according to a Washington Post analysis.