UNITED States (US) President Donald Trump has reignited his feud with Elon Musk, saying he would consider deporting the billionaire tech mogul to his native South Africa following Musk’s latest criticisms of the president’s tax and budget bill.
Trump issued the threat while addressing reporters on July 1, just hours after posting on Truth Social that he might direct the Department of Government Efficiency, previously headed by Musk, to review the billions of dollars in federal contracts awarded to his companies.
“We’ll have to take a look,” Trump said when asked whether 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.”
For the first four months of Trump’s second term, Musk headed DOGE, a federal agency tasked with aggressively downsizing the government by targeting “waste, fraud, and abuse.” He stepped down from the role in late May.
The ICIR reports that Trump’s attacks followed renewed criticism from Elon Musk, the world’s richest man, who took to X on Monday to slam Trump’s “big, beautiful bill” as it entered its fourth day of Senate debate.
In a series of posts, Musk, CEO of Tesla and SpaceX and a former senior White House adviser, warned that he would back primary challengers against Republican lawmakers who support the legislation.
“Elon may get more subsidy than any human being in history, by far, and without subsidies, Elon would probably have to close up shop and head back home to South Africa,” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social.
“No more rocket launches, satellites, or electric car production, and our country would save a FORTUNE. “Perhaps we should have DOGE take a good, hard, look at this? BIG MONEY TO BE SAVED!!!”
Over the past two decades, Musk’s companies have secured billions of dollars in US government contracts, with SpaceX notably benefiting from partnerships with the Department of Defence and NASA.
Musk responded to Trump in a post on X about 30 minutes later. “I am literally saying CUT IT ALL. Now,” he wrote.
Musk cited the bill’s projected $3.3 trillion increase to the national debt over the next decade as the reason for his strong opposition.
However, Trump has dismissed the claim, arguing that Musk’s real motive is the bill’s plan to eliminate a consumer tax credit for electric vehicle buyers, an incentive introduced under former President Joe Biden.
On his first day in office, Trump signed an executive order repealing what he called the “electric vehicle mandate”, an Environmental Protection Agency rule that requires automakers to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 50 per cent in new light and medium-duty vehicles, starting in 2027.
“Elon Musk knew, long before he so strongly endorsed me for President, that I was strongly against the EV Mandate. It is ridiculous, and was always a major part of my campaign. Electric cars are fine, but not everyone should be forced to own one,” Trump wrote in his social media post.
“Elon is very upset that the EV mandate is going to be terminated,” Trump later told reporters.
The ICIR reports that Musk, born in South Africa, became a naturalised US citizen in 2002 after previously gaining Canadian citizenship through his mother.
Musk obtained an exchange visa allowing him to study in the US and later a work visa prior to becoming a citizen.
A Washington Post analysis found that Musk and his companies had received at least $38 billion in government contracts, loans, subsidies, and tax credits, often at pivotal moments in their growth.
Nanji is an investigative journalist with the ICIR. She has years of experience in reporting and broadcasting human angle stories, gender inequalities, minority stories, and human rights issues.