US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that he might consider deporting Elon Musk, following the billionaire’s sharp criticism of his signature spending plan.
Trump also hinted that the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) — which Musk once led before stepping down in late May — could turn its attention toward investigating the government subsidies received by the Tesla and SpaceX CEO.
“I don’t know. We’ll have to take a look,” Trump told reporters at the White House when asked about the possibility of deporting 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.”
The president suggested Musk’s opposition to the bill was fuelled by the removal of provisions supporting electric vehicles (EVs).
“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. Elon can lose a lot more than that.”
On his Truth Social platform Monday night, Trump wrote that “without subsidies, Elon would probably have to close up shop and head back home to South Africa.”
Musk, who is currently the world’s richest person, was one of Trump’s top donors during the 2024 campaign and had been a close presence around the president early in his term.
However, their relationship soured this month over the “One Big Beautiful Bill.” In recent days, Musk has accused Republicans of giving up on clean energy leadership and has revived calls for a new “America Party” if the bill is passed.
