Tensions between U.S. President Donald Trump and billionaire tech mogul Elon Musk escalated sharply on Tuesday, with Trump publicly suggesting that Musk could face deportation and the loss of government subsidies over his vocal opposition to the administration’s flagship spending bill.
Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump responded to questions about his deteriorating relationship with Musk by alluding to possible legal and financial repercussions for the South African-born CEO of Tesla and SpaceX.
“I don’t know. We’ll have to take a look,” Trump said when asked if Musk’s immigration status could come under scrutiny. “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.”
DOGE, or the Department of Government Efficiency, was a Trump-era agency briefly headed by Musk before he stepped down in late May following early signs of a rift between the two.
Trump accused Musk of souring on his administration’s “One Big Beautiful Bill” after it dropped key incentives for electric vehicles, which had previously been seen as a win for the EV industry.
“He’s losing his EV mandate. He’s very upset about things,” Trump said. “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.”
On his Truth Social platform Monday night, Trump fired an earlier shot at the tech mogul, writing, “Without subsidies, Elon would probably have to close up shop and head back home to South Africa.”
The fallout marks a dramatic reversal in their once-close relationship. Musk, the world’s richest person, was among Trump’s most influential backers during the 2024 campaign and was a regular presence at the White House in the early days of the administration.
However, the alliance began to fracture over the administration’s shifting priorities on clean energy. Musk has since accused Republicans of abandoning their commitment to innovation and green technology, saying the current bill “betrays the future” and hands global EV leadership to China.
In a recent post on X, Musk warned that if the legislation passes without major revisions, he may rally support for a new political movement, which he calls the “America Party,” aimed at transcending traditional partisan divides.
Trump’s remarks have ignited concern among legal analysts and political observers, some of whom warn that targeting a prominent critic with threats of deportation and economic retaliation could trigger a constitutional and political crisis.
As of Tuesday evening, neither Musk nor his companies had issued an official response, but the billionaire is expected to address the controversy in a livestream later this week.
