Trump Hints at Deporting Elon Musk, Slams Criticism of Spending Bill as Feud Escalates

Trump and Musk sat together during the UFC fight.Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC

President Donald Trump escalated his public feud with Elon Musk on Tuesday, suggesting the Tesla and SpaceX CEO could be deported and even joking that he may unleash "DOGE" on him — a cryptic reference delivered with a veiled warning. The remarks come amid a heated standoff over Trump’s controversial “big, beautiful bill,” which Musk has openly criticized.

"I don't know. We'll have to take a look," Trump said when asked about the possibility of deporting Musk, a naturalized U.S. citizen born in South Africa. “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,” he added.

The relationship between the two powerful figures has unraveled in recent months after Musk, once a key Trump ally and top donor to his 2024 re-election campaign, turned against the administration’s signature tax and spending package. Musk specifically objected to the bill’s cuts to electric vehicle subsidies and its overall contribution to the national deficit.

The Tesla CEO’s rebuke came as the Senate entered more than 20 hours of debate over the legislation, with a final vote expected Tuesday. Musk has threatened to form a new political party if the bill passes, potentially fracturing Republican control in Washington.

In response, Trump dismissed Musk’s complaints and warned that the tech billionaire has much more at stake than EV tax breaks. “Elon is not getting his mandate,” Trump said. “He’s not going to get his mandate and he better be careful. He might not get anything else.”

Trump also appeared to express regret over his earlier endorsement and financial support of Tesla. Earlier this year, the president personally purchased a Tesla, showcasing it on the South Lawn in an effort to highlight Musk’s leadership in the automotive sector. At the time, Musk was serving as the head of the Department of Government Efficiency, and his dealership network had become a lightning rod for protests.

“Not everybody wants an electric car. I don’t want an electric car,” Trump remarked, distancing himself from the once-lauded partnership.

Following Musk’s departure from government service to return to the private sector, tensions between the two figures boiled over on social media. Musk took to X (formerly Twitter) to slam the bill during Monday night’s Senate deliberations, prompting Trump to retaliate on Truth Social early Tuesday.

“Elon Musk knew, long before he so strongly endorsed me for President, that I was strongly against the EV Mandate,” Trump wrote. “Electric cars are fine, but not everyone should be forced to own one.”

He then escalated the feud further, implying Musk’s fortunes in the U.S. may be running out. “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. 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!!!”

Musk fired back with a threat of his own, announcing that if the bill is passed, he will create the “America Party” and campaign against every Republican member of Congress who supports it.

“If this insane spending bill passes, the America Party will be formed the next day,” Musk posted. “Our country needs an alternative to the Democrat-Republican uniparty so that the people actually have a VOICE.”

The billionaire, who donated nearly $300 million to GOP candidates last year, further warned that “nearly the entire House and Senate GOP will lose their primary next year if it is the last thing I do on this Earth.”

As tensions mount, the once-formidable alliance between Trump and Musk appears to have collapsed into a fierce political and personal rivalry — one that may reshape the future of the Republican Party and U.S. tech policy.