US President Donald Trump has suggested he may consider deporting Elon Musk, following the billionaire’s vocal criticism of his administration’s flagship spending bill.
Speaking to reporters at the White House on Tuesday, Trump was asked whether he would contemplate removing Musk from the country. “I don’t know. We’ll have to take a look,” he replied.
He also alluded to the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)—a body Musk led until stepping down in late May—potentially investigating the entrepreneur’s businesses.
“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,” Trump quipped.
The president appeared to link Musk’s public dissatisfaction with the administration’s “One Big Beautiful Bill” to the removal of subsidies for electric vehicles (EVs), a cornerstone of Musk’s business interests.
“He’s losing his EV mandate. He’s very upset about things, but you know, he could lose a lot more than that, I can tell you right now,” Trump said. “Elon can lose a lot more than that.”
Trump echoed the sentiment in a post on his Truth Social platform on Monday evening, stating that Musk would likely “have to close up shop and head back home to South Africa” without federal subsidies.
Once one of Trump’s most prominent backers and donors during the 2024 campaign, Musk has become increasingly critical of the president’s policies. Their rift deepened last month when Musk condemned the latest spending bill, accusing Republicans of turning their backs on electric vehicles and green energy.
Elon Musk has since reignited calls for the creation of a new political movement—dubbed the “America Party”—if ”the legislation is enacted.
