Trump Says He May Consider Deporting Elon Musk Over Policy Dispute

U.S. President Donald Trump has suggested he could consider deporting billionaire Elon Musk, following the South African-born entrepreneur’s criticism of his administration’s flagship spending bill.

Speaking to reporters at the White House on Tuesday, Trump also hinted that the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) — which Musk led until his resignation in late May — could investigate the Tesla and SpaceX founder’s government subsidies.

“I don’t know. We’ll have to take a look,” Trump said when asked if Musk’s immigration status could come under review. “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, who has dubbed his signature economic legislation the “One Big Beautiful Bill,” claimed Musk’s recent criticisms stem from frustration over the bill’s removal of electric vehicle (EV) incentives.

“He’s losing his EV mandate. He’s very upset about that — but I can tell you, he could lose a lot more than that,” Trump warned.

The president made similar remarks on his Truth Social platform Monday night, saying, “Without subsidies, Elon would probably have to close up shop and head back home to South Africa.”

Musk, the world’s richest person and a major donor to Trump’s 2024 election campaign, had been a close ally of the president in the early months of the new administration. However, their relationship soured this month after Musk publicly opposed the spending bill, accusing Republican leaders of abandoning efforts to keep the U.S. at the forefront of the EV and clean energy revolution.

In recent days, Musk has reignited his criticism, threatening to push for the creation of a new political party — the “America Party” — if the controversial bill passes.

AFP