United States President Donald Trump has threatened to deport billionaire Elon Musk and cut off government support to his companies, deepening their fast-growing rift.
Musk, once a close ally and Trump’s biggest political donor in the 2024 election, is now turning against the president over a controversial spending plan called the “One Big Beautiful Bill.”
At a press event on Tuesday, Trump said he would “take a look” at possibly deporting Musk, who was born in South Africa but became a US citizen in 2002. He also warned that Musk could lose key contracts and subsidies given to his businesses like SpaceX and Starlink.
“We might have to put DOGE on Elon,” Trump said, referring to the Department of Government Efficiency, which Musk once led before resigning in May. “DOGE is the monster that might have to go back and eat Elon.”
Musk reacted online with a short message: “So tempting to escalate this. So, so tempting. But I will refrain for now.”
The fallout has hit Musk’s businesses. Tesla shares dropped over six percent on Tuesday after Trump’s comments. Trump later posted on his Truth Social page that “without subsidies, Elon would probably have to close up shop and head back home to South Africa.”
The two had a strong public friendship earlier this year. Musk often appeared beside Trump wearing MAGA caps, and Trump praised Tesla even as the company faced protests over job cuts tied to government reforms.
But the friendship began to fall apart in May when Musk criticized Trump’s spending bill, calling it dangerous for the country’s finances. He left his post at DOGE and has since used his social media platform, X, to campaign against the bill.
“All I’m asking is that we don’t bankrupt America,” Musk posted Tuesday. He accused Republicans of betraying their promises to reduce federal spending and claimed the bill would worsen the national debt.
Musk is now threatening to create a new political group called the “America Party” and has pledged to fund opponents of Republican lawmakers who back Trump’s bill. On X, he ran a poll asking users about starting the party, later writing, “VOX POPULI VOX DEI 80% voted for a new party.”
