Nationwide — President Donald Trump reignited his feud with Elon Musk on July 1, threatening to consider deporting the billionaire entrepreneur to his native South Africa. The clash escalated after Musk publicly criticized Trump’s massive tax and budget bill, calling for Republicans who support it to face primary challenges. Trump responded by suggesting Musk might face scrutiny from the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), a federal agency Musk once led, and even floated the idea of cutting the billions in subsidies and contracts Musk’s companies receive.
According to USA Today, Trump’s comments, made both on Truth Social and during an impromptu press briefing, came just hours after Musk warned that the bill could balloon the national debt by $3.3 trillion over the next decade. Musk, CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, accused the Trump-backed bill of reckless spending and said he would support efforts to unseat GOP lawmakers who vote for it. In a rapid-fire reply on X, Musk wrote, “I am literally saying CUT IT ALL. Now.”
Trump didn’t hold back, suggesting Musk owes much of his success to government subsidies and tax breaks. “Without subsidies, Elon would probably have to close up shop and head back home to South Africa,” Trump wrote in a 12:34 a.m. Truth Social post. He mocked Musk with a veiled threat: “Perhaps we should have DOGE take a good, hard look at this? BIG MONEY TO BE SAVED!!!”
Musk, a naturalized U.S. citizen since 2002, has become increasingly critical of Trump’s policies in recent months, particularly the rollback of climate-related initiatives. He blasted Trump’s decision to terminate what the former president refers to as the “electric vehicle mandate,” an EPA regulation that aimed to reduce emissions from light- and medium-duty vehicles starting in 2027.
This fresh wave of tension comes just weeks after Musk reportedly apologized to Trump for past personal attacks and stepped down from his role as head of DOGE to refocus on Tesla and SpaceX. His departure marked the end of a short-lived alliance during the first half of Trump’s second term, in which Musk led efforts to reduce government waste.
The feud also rekindles long-standing tensions over Musk’s massive government support. According to a Washington Post analysis, Musk’s companies have received at least $38 billion in federal loans, contracts, subsidies, and tax credits over the past two decades. Trump’s new attacks—and his not-so-subtle immigration jab—suggest any reconciliation between the two may now be off the table.