U.S. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that he might consider deporting Elon Musk, following sharp criticism from the billionaire entrepreneur over Trump’s flagship spending legislation.
Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump responded to a question about possibly deporting Musk—who was born in South Africa—by saying, “I don’t know. We’ll have to take a look.”
He further joked that the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), formerly led by Musk until his resignation in late May, might be tasked with investigating the Tesla and SpaceX CEO.
“We might have to put DOGE on Elon. You know what DOGE is? It’s the monster that might have to go back and eat Elon,” Trump said, suggesting potential scrutiny of Musk’s federal subsidies.
The president also accused Musk of being angry that the “One Big Beautiful Bill,” as he calls his major spending package, removed provisions that would have supported the electric vehicle industry—a sector in which Musk has substantial interests.
“He’s upset because his EV mandate is being pulled. But he could end up losing more than that, I can tell you,” Trump added.
In a similar tone on his Truth Social platform Monday night, Trump claimed that without government subsidies, Musk might be forced to shut down his businesses and “head back home to South Africa.”
Musk, who is currently the world’s wealthiest individual, was a major financial supporter of Trump’s 2024 campaign and was closely aligned with the president after his election.
However, their relationship soured in recent weeks over disagreements related to the bill. Musk has publicly criticized Republicans for abandoning leadership in electric vehicles and clean energy. He has also revived his suggestion of launching a new political movement—the “America Party”—should the bill pass.
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