Trump Says He’ll ‘Take A Look’ At Elon Musk Deportation

U.S. President Donald Trump suggested on Tuesday that he may consider deporting Elon Musk, following criticism from the billionaire entrepreneur over the administration’s key spending initiative.

Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump responded to questions about Musk’s recent attacks on the bill—dubbed the “One Big Beautiful Bill”—and whether the Tesla and SpaceX CEO could face repercussions, including deportation.

“I don’t know. We’ll have to take a look,” Trump said. “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.”

The president was referring to the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), an agency Musk once led before stepping down in late May. Trump hinted the agency might now investigate Musk’s companies, particularly in relation to federal subsidies.

Trump accused Musk of opposing the bill because it removed incentives for electric vehicles—a move that could significantly affect Tesla.

“He’s losing his EV mandate. He’s very upset about things,” Trump said. “But you know, he could lose a lot more than that, I can tell you right now.”

The comments echoed a post Trump made on Truth Social the previous evening, where he claimed Musk would “probably have to close up shop and head back home to South Africa” without government support.

Musk, currently the world’s richest individual, was one of Trump’s most prominent donors in the 2024 election and frequently appeared alongside him during the early days of the administration. However, the relationship has since soured amid disagreements over the spending bill.

In recent days, Musk has publicly renewed his criticism of the bill, accusing Republicans of backtracking on commitments to promote clean energy and keep the U.S. competitive in the electric vehicle sector.

He has also reiterated his support for forming a new political movement, tentatively named the “America Party,” should the legislation pass.

—AFP