President Donald Trump on Tuesday did not rule out deporting his former top ally Elon Musk over his criticism of his “big, beautiful bill” as their once-close relationship continues to go downhill.
Senate Republicans currently are working to shore up support for the controversial legislation, which is expected to add at least $3.3 trillion to the national debt, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, ahead of Trump’s self-imposed July Fourth deadline.
The billionaire slammed the GOP tax and spending bill and threatened to fund primary challenges to lawmakers who support it, prompting Trump’s ire.
Asked if he plans to deport Musk, Trump told reporters: “I don’t know. We’ll have to take a look.”
Trump suggested that he would be prepared to undo the government subsidies Musk’s companies benefit from, hinting at using the so-called Department of Government Efficiency — previously led by Musk to realize Trump’s goal of overhauling the federal government — against him.
“We might have to put DOGE on Elon,” Trump said. “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.”
In response, Musk said: “So tempting to escalate this. So, so tempting. But I will refrain for now.”
The two men had already spent Monday night exchanging tense posts on social media.
“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. “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 declared he didn’t care about Trump’s threat, while also floating creating a third party if the bill goes ahead.
During the 2024 campaign, Musk was one of Trump’s main campaign donors and surrogates. Following Trump’s victory, the billionaire joined Trump’s White House team, where he was primarily focused on DOGE.
Ahead of Musk’s departure from the White House, the two remained close, exchanging pleasantries. Their relationship turned sour shortly after, with the Tesla and SpaceX CEO trashing Trump’s bill while also suggesting that the president withheld files on late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein because he was in them. That post has since been deleted from his social media platform.
Musk later conceded those attacks “went too far” after speaking with Vice President JD Vance and White House chief of staff Susie Wiles. But the truce appears to have been short-lived.