US President Donald Trump has suggested the possibility of deporting Elon Musk, a naturalized U.S. citizen, back to South Africa. During a press briefing, Trump indicated that he would consider having DOGE, the Department of Government Efficiency, investigate Musk’s government contracts. This comes as part of an ongoing public conflict between Trump and Musk, who resigned as the head of DOGE after publicly criticizing Trump’s $5 trillion debt-ceiling increase in his budget bill.
The situation has intensified as Trump has also criticized Musk’s stance on electric vehicle mandates, accusing him of receiving excessive subsidies. During a press briefing, Trump stated, “We might have to put DOGE on Elon, as DOGE is the monster that might have to go back and eat Elon.” He added, “Elon’s very upset that the [Electrical Vehicle] mandate is going to be terminated, and not everybody wants an electric car.”
In a separate post on his Truth Social platform, Trump asserted that Musk had known long before his strong endorsement of Trump in the 2024 presidential race that he was against the EV mandate. “Electric cars are fine,” Trump said, “but not everyone wants one. Without subsidies, Musk could close up shop and head back home to South Africa, saving the U.S. a fortune by stopping rocket launches, satellites, and electric car production.”
Musk, on the other hand, has continued to criticize Trump’s budget bill, arguing that it undermines his efforts with DOGE to reduce federal spending. “Every member of Congress who campaigned on reducing government spending and then immediately voted for the biggest debt increase in history should hang their head in shame,” Musk wrote on X. “They will lose their primary next year if it is the last thing I do on this Earth,” he warned. Musk also reiterated calls to establish a new “America Party” to serve as an alternative to the “Democrat-Republican uniparty so that the people actually have a voice.”